Austrian fruit ingredients producer Agrana will invest almost €22 million in a new manufacturing facility in eastern China.
The site – at a high-tech industry park in the city of Changzhou, near Shanghai – is Agrana’s largest single investment in China. Once completed, it will focus on R&D activity for jam, jam ingredients, fruit juice concentrates, fruit and vegetable products, and seasonings.
The Austrian business makes a range of fruit juice concentrates and fruit products for the global food and beverage industry, as well as sugar products and infant dairy. It is spending €21.75 million on the Changzhou project.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018, with the facility operational by 2019.
It will serve some of Agrana’s highest-profile customers, including Danone, Mengniu, Bright Dairy, and Unilever.
Agrana’s investment will be a boost to its global fruit processing operation, which currently accounts for 44 per cent of its total revenues.
