17.01.2021 Agrana: In the first three quarters of the 2020|21 financial year, Agrana, the fruit, starch and sugar company, generated EBIT operating profit of euro 84.3 mn (+20.8 %). Revenue increased by 4.6% to Euro 1,965.3 mn. Chief Executive Officer Johann Marihart comments: “The key drivers of the earnings growth were good results in bioethanol – especially in the third quarter – and a profitability improvement in the Sugar segment thanks to higher sugar prices and volumes. Sugar EBIT nevertheless remained negative due mainly to idle-capacity costs associated with the incomplete utilisation of sugar factories, notably in Austria. In the Fruit segment, EBIT in the fruit preparations business rose significantly in the first three quarters from the year-earlier reporting period. The performance of the fruit juice concentrate business, on the other hand, was down considerably as a result of lower available volumes from the prior year’s apple crop.” The company expects Group EBIT for the full 2020|21 financial year to at least match the prior-year level. Group revenue is projected to show slight growth.