euro adhoc: AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG / Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers / AGRANA launches Apple Juice Production in China

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12.06.2006

Vienna/Beijing - ARANA, the leading European producer of apple juice
concentrates, signed a Joint Venture Agreement in China. It has
acquired a 50 per cent stake in concentrates manufacturer Xianyang
Andre Juice Co. Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Hong Kong listed
company Yantai North Andre Juice Company, Ltd.

A part of the investment will be brought into the company within the
scope of a capital increase and will be used to finance enlargement
of its factory. The factory’s current annual capacity of 30,000
tonnes of apple juice concentrates is already planned to double in
2007.

China is the world’s largest producer of apple juice concentrates.
Depending on the harvest, it makes 500,000 to 600,000 tonnes a year.
Between 80 and 85 per cent is exported. Because it lacks the acidity
that is typical of European concentrates, Chinese apple juice is
classified as "sweet".

AGRANA’s new Xianyang Andre Juice Co. Ltd. joint venture has a
factory located directly in China’s largest apple growing area in the
province of Shaanxi. The Joint Venture company started production of
apple juice concentrate in 2005. Between August and December 2005,
the factory and its workforce of about 160 people were already able
to make some 12,000 tonnes of apple juice concentrates. Revenues
during the 2007 financial year are expected to total about EUR 24
million.

AGRANA’s joint venture partner Yantai North Andre has five additional
concentrate production facilities of its own. Further more, a pectin
production is currently built up. The group’s revenues during 2005
came to the equivalent of approximately EUR 66 million.

The Joint Venture Agreement will be effective after grant of approval
by the relevant Authorities.

This press release is also available in the Internet at
www.agrana.com.

end of announcement euro adhoc 12.06.2006 07:30:00
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ots Originaltext: AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:
AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG
Doris Schober
Investor Relations/Corporate Communications
Phone: +43-1-211 37-2084
e-mail: investor.relations@agrana.at

Branche: Food
ISIN: AT0000603709
WKN: 779535
Index: ATX Prime, WBI
Börsen: Wiener Börse AG / official market