The biggest land owner The largest private owner of agricultural land in Bulgaria to the name of Rompharm company is due to conclude a new big deal. Pharmaceutical company will acquire fund Seres, which owes a portfolio of over 186 000 acres of arable land. If the acquisition is successful, the group around the pharmaceutical company is to firm its leading position as an owner of agricultural land with between 85 000 and 900 000 acres in its portfolio. Shareholders in Seres fund are mainly financial investors, part of which are now looking out of their investment in agricultural land while seeking more lucrative alternatives for their money. Negotiations with Rompharm company are going on for a year now. One of the reasons for the delay is what part of the assets of Seres to be subject to the transaction. Apart from arable land the fund has agricultural business as well-via several subsidiaries it cultivates both its own and rented land in northern and northwestern Bulgaria. For now plans are Seres to withhold this part of its business. According to the report to CPC transaction will be structured as a transfer of shares, not as purchase of agricultural land
Source: Capital (05.07.2013)

Rompharm already has 900 thousand acres of agricultural land Pharmaceutical company under the name of Rompharm Company, which established itself as the largest agricultural land’s owner in Bulgaria last year, has reaffirmed its position by purchase of Seres fund. All 66.7 million of shares of the agricultural fund have been transferred. Via the newly acquired company Rompharm gets other 186 000 acres of agricultural land, which makes the company’s total volume of arable land nearly 850 - 900 thousand acres. As a comparison total quantity of arable area in the country is to the amount of 37 million acres. In the beginning of July announcement for concentration between the two companies was deposited into the Commission for protection of competition. The deal was granted permission by the regulatory body. Owners of the agricultural funds are 21 legal and natural entities. Last summer Rompharm Company negotiated similar in size purchase via which it acquired 180 thousand of acres upon liquidation of the REIT Elarg Fund Agricultural Land for BGN 90 million. Simultaneously the company continues to extend its portfolio with purchase of land via its subsidiaries (Staven, S.I.G. and Rosagrofund). Initially the company entered that market namely through its subsidiaries. If we exclude 1000 acres newly grown vineyards in the region of Botevo village, Tundzja municipality, Rompharm does not cultivate its land or it leases them. There are 83 thousand acres of arable land in Seres’ portfolio, which the company cultivated by itself. Seres fund is cultivating rented land in five regions-Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Pleven and Velioo Turnovo.
Source: Capital (13.08.2013)

Rompharm acquired a share in Sopharma The most active buyer lately-Rompharm company concluded its successive deal for millions. After it acquired two huge portfolios with agricultural land, the little-known group has made a portfolio investment in the biggest pharmaceutical company on the Stock exchange in Sofia-Sopharma. It has bought the share of Lyubomir Pavlov and already has a 13.5% share in Sopharma in a deal for BGN 36 million. The purchase sets the beginning of a new investment phase for Rompharm. The deal may be defined as a new line for Sopharma, too. The purchase of Rompharm comes at a time in which the shares of Sopharma began to recover partially their lost value last in nearly three years. Since the beginning of the year, shares of the company have risen by 38% on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange
Source: Capital (10.09.2013)

Bulgaria’s Winslow Land launches buyout bid for 23.69% of Agro Finance Bulgarian company Winslow Land Invest has launched a buyout bid for the 23.69% of local real estate investment trust (REIT) Agro Finance [BUL:6AG] which it does not currently own, Agro Finance said on Wednesday. Winslow Land offers to pay 2.35 levs ($1.62/1.20 euro) per share, the REIT said in a statement posted on its website. The offer will remain open for 45 days after a buyout notice is published in two local dailies. Winslow Land Invest bought 14,110,257 shares of Agro Finance, equal to 43.8% of its capital, in a transaction registered with the country’s central depository on November 4.
Source: Capital (21.11.2013)

Founders of Vinprom Peshtera buy the second player on the land market Anton Shterev and Atanas Petrov who control Vinprom Peshtera as well as construction-investment company Galaxy property group want to buy the second largest owner of agricultural land, named Winslow land invest. This became clear from a notification for concentration handed out in the Commission for Protection of competition. According to the document two companies Solater SPLTD and Orbias SPLTD want to gain control over Winslow land invest. It is a matter of a share that insures control over the company. At present the company in question is part of Winslow group. It is interesting to point out that for a year of its operation and after several huge deals its portfolio of agricultural land is close to 350 thousand acres. The biggest purchase Winslow initiated was that of Omega agro invest, which in spring was part of Vinrpom Peshtera group. Recently the company acquired 77 % of REIT Agro finance, as takeover of the whole company is under way. By concluding the deal for Winslow land invest Petrov and Shterev will become the second largest private owner of agricultural land in Bulgaria after Rompharm company.
Source: Capital (18.12.2013)