VEGETA - ONE OF MOST USED SPICES IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - A food concern located in the northern Croatian town of Koprivnica, the "Podravka", is planning to increase the sale of its product Vegeta in Central and Eastern European countries within next several years. As a result of the Podravka management's intention to make Vegeta the leading spice in those European countries, Podravka is planning to build new Vegeta factories in Koprivnica and Poland. The Vegeta sale made a profit of US$52.7 million in the first half of 1998, which was 26.9 percent of the Podravka's total sales income. According to Podravka, 85,5 percent of the profit came from foreign markets, of which US$26.8 million were made in Poland. Other significant foreign markets are in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. The Croatian-made spice is being manufactured in the Vegeta factories in Koprivnica and Mohach, Hungary. Given that the current manufacturing could not have satisfied market demands, the Podravka management decided to build a new factory in Koprivnica. The construction started in early October of 1998, and is to be completed by mid 2000. The project is amounted to approximately US$33 million. (hina) it