OREANDA-NEWS. December 08, 2009. The EBRD is lending EUR1.4 million to Marwin Brands, a juice and nectar producer in Uzbekistan, to help the company diversify production and improve its regional distribution network, reported the press-centre of EBRD.

Marwin Brands is one of the leading juice producers in Uzbekistan. The company sells over 10 types of juice and nectar in Tetra Pak packages, and is planning to further expand its products range by adding new flavours, currently unavailable on the local market.

The EBRD loan, which can be renewed annually, will be used to purchase packaging materials and imported fruit concentrates, helping the company to ensure continuous production cycle and diversified product range.

In addition, Marwin Brands will acquire up to 600 retail refrigerators in order to expand its distribution network and improve presence in retail outlets across the country.

“The EBRD is pleased to support Marwin Brands in its drive to expand its production in the current challenging environment. This project will give an additional boost to the already competitive juice sector in Uzbekistan, to the benefit of local consumers,” said Matthieu Le Blan, Head of the EBRD Office in Uzbekistan.

Since the beginning of its operations in Uzbekistan, the EBRD has invested about EUR 550 million into more than 50 projects in various sectors of the country’s economy.

To date the EBRD has invested more than EUR 5 billion in over 360 agribusiness projects in countries of its operations.