Press

In 1997, with the foundation of what is known today as AGRANA Fruit Ukraine (formerly Steirerobst), the international group AGRANA specialising in sugar, starch and fruit, started operations in Vinnitsa as the first Austrian food industry company to enter the Ukraine market. Since 1997, around EUR 40 million has been invested in the fruit preparation and fruit juice concentrate factory in Vinnitsa, and the production capacity has been continually expanded. Vinnitsa represents a large and particularly important location in the AGRANA group today. “Within a period of ten years, AGRANA has succeeded in establishing a state-of-the art fruit processing factory in Vinnitsa, in line with western standards, which supplies the growth markets of Ukraine and Russia with high-quality AGRANA fruit products,” according to AGRANA CEO Johann Marihart, on the occasion of the 10 year anniversary celebrations.

Vinnitsa currently has a production capacity of 50,000 tonnes p.a. for frozen products, fruit preparations and fruit juice concentrates. 30% is allotted to frozen products and fruit preparations, and 70% to fruit juice concentrates and purées. Up to 90% of the products are distributed on the Ukrainian and Russian markets; a small share of frozen fruits is exported to Western Europe. “The Ukraine is an important supplier of raw materials for AGRANA and, with 47 million inhabitants, an economic growth of around 10% and the duty-free access to the Russian market, one of the central growth countries for the future,” continued Johann Marihart.

In 2001, cultivation began on 900 hectares of land in the south of Vinnitsa. Since this time, the berries cultivated there have primarily been used for fruit preparations of AGRANA Fruit Ukraine. With the company’s own raw material production in Luka, it has been possible to establish complete traceability from the fruits in the field through to the fruit in the yoghurt, and to guarantee the highest level of both product safety and quality.

AGRANA Fruit Ukraine employs some 300 employees and generated revenues of around EUR 45.5 million in 2006.

 

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