Star Foods expects turnover growth, though lower

Food producers can still be optimistic, even on a market that will halve its growth rate, because they can still make plans to boost their turnovers, says Sotiris Yannopoulos, general manager of Star Foods Romania, the largest crisps producer on the Romanian market, with turnover worth over 100 million euros. Star Food has yet to release its local sales figure for last year, but said it recorded a double-digit growth in 2008. In 2007, the producer posted 96.5 million euros in turnover, up almost 24% against the previous year. Yannopoulos expects a lower turnover growth rate in 2009 against last year, amid a slowdown of the savoury snacks market. "Even an 8% turnover increase can be regarded as exceptionally good under the current economic conditions, it all depends on how you look at things. In Spain, for instance, a snacks producer expects their sales to go down 2-3% against 2008, after recording a 4-5% growth rate last year. In Romania, a producer is unhappy to see its growth rate down to 4-5% this year, after in 2008 it recorded a 15% advance," Yannopoulos says.