Dutch Potato producer Agrico halts plans for Romanian, Bulgarian expansion

Dutch potato producer Agrico announced it has temporarily shelved plans to set up daughter companies in Bulgaria and Romania, citing the current economic crisis as the reason, Dutch daily Agrarisch Dagblad said.

Agrico intends to develop daughter companies or participations in what it sees as fast growing, promising markets. The company's general director Ineke Mastenbroek was quoted as saying: "we are considering Bulgaria and Romania. In these countries the economy is developing quickly. It would also facilitate the distribution of our potato varieties east-ward to Russia, Uzbekistan and the Ukraine. But because of the economic crisis, we've temporarily shelved the development ofdaughter companies and participations."