EANS-News: AGRANA Beteiligungs-AG / AGRANA invests EUR27.6m in fast-growing Russian market

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Company Information

Wien (euro adhoc) - The Fruit segment of the sugar, starch and
fruit company AGRANA will be investing around EUR27.6m over the
next five years in the expansion of its fruit preparation plant in
Serpuchov, around 100km south of Moscow.

In order to be able to tap the potential of the growing market
for fruit preparations in Russia and the CIS states, this expansion
project will boost production capacity by 63 % from around 38,000
tonnes currently to a level of 62,000 tonnes per year when the
project has been completed.

AGRANA began operations at the Serpuchov site with two production
lines in May 2005 and has tripled its volume of sales since then
in the course of two earlier expansion phases. With 238
personnel and annual revenues of around EUR55m, this subsidiary
currently has a 48 % share of the regional fruit preparations
market which, in addition to Russia, also includes several other
CIS states and a total of approximately 217 million consumers.

Fruit preparations are used primarily in the dairy products
industry in the production of fruit yoghurts but also for cakes and
pastries as well as ice cream. With a current estimated
pro-capital consumption level of around 3.5 kg per year, the CIS
yoghurt market offers considerable growth potential compared, for
example, with Poland, where this figure is approx. 8.5 kg, or
top-placed Western Europe, where consumption amounts to around 16.5
kg of yoghurt per year.

"Fruit yoghurts are becoming increasingly popular in Russia
and the neighbouring states as prosperity and health
consciousness are rising. This expansion phase in Serpuchov is key
to our being able to profit from the forecast growth of around
50 % in demand for fruit preparations from a current level of
82,000 tonnes to 124,000 tonnes per annum by 2014|15, and
to consolidate our excellent market position as the quality,
service and innovation leader", says Johann Marihart, CEO of AGRANA
Beteiligungs-AG.

About AGRANA AGRANA is the foremost sugar company in Central and
Eastern Europe. It is the leading supplier of specialised starch
products in Europe by a considerable margin, as well as being
the largest producer of bioethanol in Austria and Hungary. In
the field of fruit, AGRANA is the top global producer of fruit
preparations for the dairy industry and one of the leading producers
of fruit juice concentrates in Europe. In its 2009|10 business
year, AGRANA recorded revenues of approximately EUR two
billion. AGRANA employs around 8,000 personnel at 52 facilities
in 25 countries around the world.

This press release is available online in German and English at
www.agrana.com.

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

Further inquiry note:

Investor Realtions:
Mag. (FH) Hannes Haider
Tel.: 01-21137-12905
hannes.haider@agrana.com

Public Relations:
Mag. Ulrike Middelhoff
Tel.: 01-21137-12084
ulrike.middelhoff@agrana.com

Branche: Food
ISIN: AT0000603709
WKN: 779535
Index: WBI, ATX Prime
Börsen: Berlin / Präsenzhandel
Frankfurt / Präsenzhandel
Stuttgart / Präsenzhandel
Wien / official market