Fruit importer "Sorus" to construct warehouse terminals

"Sorus" group, one of three largest fruit importers in Russia, announced about the plans to spend money before the flotation of the bonded loan worth to RUR 1.5 billion ($62.5 mln.), RBC Daily informs. In addition to the debt refinancing, the company is intended to invest funds to the construction of the logistics terminals in Chelyabinsk, Kostroma, Penza, and Kazakhstan, to finish the establishment of the warehouse complexes in Moscow and Irkutsk, and by 2010 - in Belarus and Surgut. Also, the group intends to extend the banana plantations in Ecuador twofold up to 2,300 ha, and to expand the transport park. The analysts forecast the market share of "Sorus" company to significantly increase; but, the market players think, these steps will help to just preserve the same share.
If the own plantations in Ecuador are evaluated now, the company significantly lags behind the competitors. "Sorus" owns 1,270 ha; judging from the company's informational memorandum, JFC group possesses 2,000 ha, Sunway group has 3,000 ha. "The land purchase in Ecuador let the company be independent from the conjuncture of the banana market in Ecuador", Valeriy Linetskiy, "Sorus" President, says. "The production may increase on 40,000 boxes per week". At the present moment "Sorus" supplies around 25,000 boxes per week.
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