The leading grain trader in 2016 was US-held ADM Trading, which sold more than RON3.3 billion worth of grain last year, and posted RON32 million loss. ADM has been in the red for the past seven years, which is strange, considering it is the undisputed leader of its industry.
Second largest trader in 2016 was Swiss-held Ameropa Grains, RON2.6 billion revenue and RON14.4 million profit. It has not posted any losses in the past five years.
Third among the top traders is US-held Cargill, with more than RON2 billion revenue and RON29 million loss in 2016. Cargill posted losses in four of the last five years, about RON263 million in 2012-2016.
Fourth ranking is Swiss-owned Glencore Romania, which posted more than RON1.8 billion sales and RON12.5 million net profit in 2016.
The fifth leading grain and oilseeds trader in Romania in 2016 was COFCO International Romania, the former Nidera Romania, fully acquired by China’s COFCO International last August. COFCO’s Romanian unit ended last year with RON1.3 billion revenue, down 18% on the previous year and RON15.4 million profit, the highest of a top five company.
Exports of unprocessed agricultural products rose by almost 12% to nearly EUR3.75 billion last year, according to National Statistics Institute.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)