Romanian sugar producer gets EUR 13 mn state grant to boost capacity
<p>Romanian sugar producer Zahar Premium, which took over a sugar factory in Ludus (Mures County) &nbsp;from French Tereos in February 2023, will invest in the next three years around RON 129 million (EUR 26 million) out of which roughly half (48%) was received as a state grant to increase its production capacity and expanding the range of products, <a href="https://www.economica.net/fabrica-de-zahar-ludus_764256.html?mc_cid=7d6d825a05&amp;mc_eid=607bd7d763" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Economica </a>announced.</p>

<p>"In three years, we will contract more beet from farmers in the region. We will be able to sign contracts for 11-12,000 hectares compared to 8,700 hectares now," stated the company's co-owner Mihaela Neagu.</p>

<p>The company's project was declared eligible for state aid worth RON 62.5 million under the Investalim grant scheme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The investment should be completed within three years from the signing of the financing contract.</p>

<p>The company is the only sugar producer in Romania with local capital that currently refines beets.</p>

<p>Its capacity will increase by approximately 25%, from 3,200 tonnes per day to 4,000 tonnes per day.</p>

<p>The company plans to purchase packaging equipment and will install a new line of vanilla sugar as well as a new state-of-the-art production line for sachet-packaged sugar. The products will be destined for the local market.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mihaela Neagu, through Best Achiziții, also controls a sugar factory in Bod (Brasov County), where processing has not resumed yet. The sugar manufactured at Luduș is marketed under the Bod brand.</p>

<p>Apart from the &nbsp;Ludus and Bod factories, in Romania only Austrian group Agrana has production units, in Roman and Buzău, the activity of the latter being restricted from November 2023.</p>

<p><em>(Photo: <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Erik Tatevosian/ Dreamstime</a>)</em></p>

<p><em>iulian@romania-insider.com</em></p>