Cargill Opens Bulgarian Trading Office

25/01/07 Cargill has opened a grain and oilseed trading office in Sofia. The office is the company’s first in Bulgaria and will provide further opportunities for Bulgarian farmers. Cargill’s trading activities will primarily focus on exporting wheat, corn, sunflower seeds, barley and rapeseed, though domestic contracts will also be executed. 

“The office will enable us to grow our business in a region where a local presence is increasingly important“, says Stoyan Stoyanov, general manager of the new office. “Cargill already has a strong presence elsewhere in the Black Sea region which will be complemented by our Bulgarian operations. We will create real value and opportunities for customers by opening up markets for Bulgarian grains and oilseeds produced here in the rest of the world.“

Cargill’s trading operations will focus on supplying North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey. The company’s experience of operating in the European Union will also facilitate sales to member states following Bulgaria’s accession earlier this month.

Cargill has been active in the Black Sea region since beginning its activities in Turkey through a local partnership in 1960. The company commenced trading in the country as Cargill in 1986 and began operations in Russia and Ukraine in 1991, though a prior trading relationship with local organisations dates back some 30 years.  Recently, Cargill celebrated its 10th anniversary in Romania. The company now has nearly 4,000 employees in the four countries and has activities in the following areas: grain and oilseed trading; oilseed crushing, refining and bottling; silo management; meat and poultry; malt; sweeteners and starches; specialty food ingredients including flavours and texturisers; cocoa trading; sugar trading; animal feed; trading and distribution of steel mill consumables and products; and value investment.