AGRANA’s core competence is the refining of agricultural raw materials into products for use by downstream manufacturers. In the three business segments, Sugar, Starch and Fruit, AGRANA is continually consolidating or expanding its market position. Even in challenging economic times, AGRANA makes the best possible use of the continuing opportunities for growth and development. AGRANA pursues a market-oriented growth trajectory that emphasises long-term customer and supplier relationships and seeks to increase the value of the company. AGRANA’s business strategy is implemented through a focus on growth and efficiency, value-added investment and acquisitions, constant rigorous cost control and sustainable business management that is guided by long-term goals.

Since 1990 AGRANA has evolved into the largest supplier of sugar and isoglucose in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Market, cost and technological leadership in the processing of sugar beet and raw sugar ensure AGRANA’s sustained success in this segment. AGRANA has proved its ability to operate profitably even under the more demanding conditions of the EU sugar regime. A secure raw material base combined with the strong market position underpins the sugar business of AGRANA for the long term.

In the Sugar segment, AGRANA not only supplies individually tailored products to industrial customers but also operates in the consumer market. In this sector AGRANA is successfully intensifying its marketing of regional sugar brands.

In the Starch segment, AGRANA follows a growth-oriented strategy focused on specialty products. By expanding production of more highly refined starches, AGRANA has set ourselves apart from its European competitors. Innovative, customer-driven products supported by application advice and continuous product development, combined with relentless cost optimisation, are the key to AGRANA’s success in the Starch activities.

In Europe, AGRANA is entrenched both as one of the leading suppliers of organic and GMO¹-free starches to the food industry, as a producer of specialty starches for the paper, textile, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and as a partner to producers of building materials. AGRANA’s core competence – adding value to agricultural raw materials by processing them into industrial products – also forms the basis for AGRANA’s bioethanol business. AGRANA is a leading supplier of this environmentally friendly fuel in Central Europe.

In the Fruit segment, AGRANA focuses on the following two areas:

• “Fruit”, producing fruit preparations for the dairy, ice-cream and baking industry. In this global market segment with production facilities close to customers, AGRANA is the world market leader. This is a longterm growth business thanks to the worldwide rise in nutrition consciousness and growing levels of prosperity in emerging markets.
• “Juice”, producing mainly juice concentrates from apples, red fruits and berries. In this steadily growing market segment, AGRANA maintains local processing plants near the fruit growing areas and distribute juice concentrates globally to the beverage industry.

AGRANA’s objective in the Fruit segment is to consolidate our strong worldwide market position and round out our global market presence. This is being done through organic growth and by acquisitions.

AGRANA’s aim in fruit preparations is to provide both its globally operating and its regional customers with the best product quality worldwide, optimum service and innovative product development ideas and expertise, all delivered under the AGRANA brand.

AGRANA’s strategic goal in fruit juice concentrates is to expand its market position beyond Europe’s borders through the positioning in important raw material markets, and to further build the AGRANA brand in the industrial market as the leading quality supplier of fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

A sound equity base, particularly in difficult economic times, is an important foundation for AGRANA’s business. AGRANA sees its shareholders as long-term partners in realising the Group’s goals and offer them an attractive longterm return on investment at a reasonable level of risk, even when conditions in capital markets are volatile. With a policy of open and transparent communication, AGRANA aims to continue to strengthen investors’ confidence in AGRANA and make its business performance and management decisions predictable and easy to understand.