Our F&A involvement stretches across
the entire chainfrom ruralproducers
the middle marketto the corporate market
SECTOR SPECIAL FOOD AGRIBUSINESS
Poland
Australia/New Zealand
26 issue 19 APRH 2 THE WORD
In Poland, the food processing and food retail and service
sectors account for almost 9 percent of gross domestic
product (GDP), significantly higherthan the European Union
(EU) average of around 3.4 percent. Jacek Szugajew, Head
of Corporate Banking at Rabobank Poland, explains that
this represents an interesting opportunity both from the
corporate lending side, as well as the private equity side.
'There are eight key F&A sectors in Poland: animal protein
and feed, beverages, dairy, food and retail service, grain and
oilseeds, processed food, sugar and ingredients, and others.
These sectors have different characteristics as far as growth
potential is concerned, but on average F&A industries grew
Australia and New Zealand operates in five core businesses,
with a renowned focus on the F&A sector, but also
extending into the broaderfïnancial services market covering
the entire food chain, from rural producers, to the middle
market and corporate market. With an established market
leading position in the F&A field, they have been voted
the best agribusiness bank in Australia and have the most
satisfïed rural clients in Australia and New Zealand. Neil Dobbin,
Rabobank's Group Executive, Rural Banking, explains that
although we have a well developed position in the market,
by 5 to 15 percent annually, with retail, wholesale, and
animal protein being the largest sectors," Szugajew says.
From a banking point of view, a mix of lending, cash
management, M&A and private equity services are the most
attractive sectors, Szugajew believes. "If we look at the two
Rabobank entities in Poland - BGZ and Rabobank Polska -
we enjoy quite a good penetration as a combined entity.
The challenge now, however, is that for some time the F&A
sector was ignored by many of the other large players. It was
viewed as being fragmented and not worth the effort, so that
has helped us enjoy a comfortable position. Poland is a very
interesting market, combining some of the characteristics
of an emerging market (growth dynamics) with the stability
of a business environment imposed by EU membership, and
we are the ideal player to lead within the F&A sector."
