"Danone" to buy Vojvodina-based dairies from "Salford"?

- French multinational company “Danone” and “Salford” are currently negotiating on sale of number of dairies that the latter company owns in Serbia – Slobodan Petrović, the Country Manager of “Salford” in Serbia, told "Dnevnik".

Let us remind that "Salford" owns "Danube foods group" holding, which is the majority owner of "Knjaz Miloš", "Bambi", "Imlek", Dairy "Subotica", and several large and small dairies in Vojvodina.

– The negotiations are underway, and "Danone" is primarily interested in dairies –Mr. Petrović told "Dnevnik".

People in "Danube foods group" say that the sale of dairies is inevitable, but that they are not going to hurry, and they also say that some of these factories would have been sold before if there had not been for the global economic crisis. They point out that the company negotiates with "Danone", as well as with all other potential buyers of other companies within "Danube foods group".

"Salford", that is, "Danube foods group", currently owns about 40% of dairy industry in Serbia. The company is the owner of Belgrade-based "Imlek", dairies in Novi Sad, Subotica, Zaječar and Zemun, as well as units in Vršac, Šid, Odžaci, Čačak, Požarevac and Kraljevo.

Let us also remind that the sale of companies owned by "Danube foods group" should have started in the second half of year 2008, and that it should have been finished by the beginning of year 2009.