Americans at Cargill can store 3% of Romanian grain output

American giant Cargill, one of the world's leading grain trader, with over one billion RON (around 280 million euros) in cumulated turnover on the Romanian market in 2009, has a storage capacity of 500,000 tonnes on the Romanian market, which covers around 3% of Romanian grain output.

"Our biggest storage facility, of around 55,000 tonnes, is in Ialomiţa, while in Călăraşi we can store up to 40,000 tonnes of grain," said Martin Schuldt, general manager of Cargill Romania, in his first public outing after five years of presence on the Romanian market.
In fact, Cargill has not revealed any data on its local businesses in the last few years, similarly to rivals Alfred Toepfer and Glencore, companies with one billion euros in cumulated turnover in 2008, which did not make public statements on their results.
Cargill covers four major segments - grain storage, trade, vegetable oil production and livestock feed production. The main division, which accounts for around 80% of the turnover, according to the Trade Registry, is Cargill Agricultura, the subsidiary that sells grain bought from local farmers.
"We are dependent on farmers. If farmers don't produce, we have nothing to sell. So it is in our advantage for farmers to be more productive. Romania is an important source for grain trade. We basically take the grain surplus to markets where there is a shortage," Schuldt says.