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€15 mln EBRD loan supports Bulgaria’s Boni Holding expansion
The EBRD is lending Boni Holding, a Bulgarian meat processing company, €15
million to help modernise the plant to increase production. The loan will also
enable the company to invest in energy efficiency, and improve environmental
standards to European Union levels. A portion of the loan will help
restructure the company’s balance sheet.
Gilles Mettetal, EBRD Director for Agribusiness, said improved pig breeding
standards together with Boni’s marketing and distribution channels will
improve competition in Bulgaria’s pig farming and meat-processing industry,
which is important for the sector. The loan will help the company implement
its investment programme, which includes refurbishing the Company’s pig farms,
building a new cutting and de-boning hall and meat processing units, aimed at
ensuring compliance with EU regulations.
Boni began meat trading and processing in 1991 and subsequently expanded to
become one of the leading companies in the sector in Bulgaria. Boni
specialises in pig breeding and pork meat processing and is market leader in
raw-dried products, owning some of the leading brands.
Borislav Nikolov, majority owner of Boni and chairman of the board of
directors, added that the EBRD’s financing will ensure compliance of the
companies in the Boni group with EU requirements and standards.
The project will bring total EBRD investments in Bulgaria to more than €1.3
million. To date, in the agribusiness sector alone, across central and eastern
Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Bank has committed over
€4 billion in around 286 projects.
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