The move comes as the company has expanded in the region over the past years, in Hungary and Slovakia.
“We want to acquire between 40,000 and 100,000 tons of grain from Romania in the first year of activity,” stated Ernst Gauhs, a top executive with the trader.
Estimated revenue for the 2015-2016 season will likely reach EUR15-20 million, according to ZF calculations.
The trader is part of German group BayWA, an energy-agro-industrial conglomerate with EUR16 billion in revenue, which has mulled the Romanian market before.
It initially embarked upon taking over grain from Romania through intermediaries, but now decided to enter the local market.
Raiffeisen group has banking, leasing, asset management, as well as real estate operations in Romania.
Romania is among Europe’s top ten grain producers and the local market is highly appealing for such traders. The Romanian grain market is worth above EUR4 billion annually.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu)