ADM intends to enhance sweeteners and starches production capabilities

Global agricultural processor and food ingredient company Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) intends to expand production capacity of sweeteners and starches at its corn wet mill facilities in Turkey and Bulgaria.

For this expansion, the company has acquired corn wet mills in Adana, Turkey, and Razgrad, Bulgaria. It also acquired a 50% stake in a mill in Szabadegyháza, Hungary, last November.

The acquired plants produces a wide range of starch products, including liquid sweeteners, native and modified starches, crystalline fructose and dextrose.

ADM Europe, Middle East and Africa president Pierre Duprat said: “We continue to see substantial opportunities for starch-based ingredients in Europe and Middle East markets, and, with these expansions, ADM will be well-positioned to meet growing customer demand across the region.

“By increasing production capacity and expanding our capabilities, we are ensuring that we will be able to offer our customers an expanded range of sweeteners and starches as sugar production quotas in the EU expire, and as demand from food and paper markets in Turkey and the Middle East continues to grow.”

In June, ADM also acquired a corn wet mill in Casablanca, Morocco.

Duprat further added: “One of our key strategic goals is to grow shareholder value through the expansion and diversification of our global corn footprint.

“Our recent acquisitions in Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary and Morocco all represent major steps in meeting these goals.

“And we are continuing our efforts to enhance returns on all fronts: In addition to enhancing production capacity, the improvements we have made in Turkey and Bulgaria will also improve operational efficiency at these facilities, increasing our domestic and overseas sales competitiveness.”

ADM is planning to complete these projects by the first half of 2018.