Romanian East Grain secures 90% stake in Maragro Group
Maragro’s business includes about 9,600 hectares of farmland, oilseed processing and a seed selection and treatment plant.
ROMANIA – East Grain SA, a Cluj-Napoca–based agribusiness firm and member of the Czech Agrofert Group, has secured approval from the Romanian Competition Council for its acquisition of a 90 percent stake in Maragro Group, headquartered in Giera, Timiș County.
The council, on Aug. 8, affirmed that the deal “does not raise significant obstacles to effective competition on the Romanian market or on a substantial part of it” and contains no serious doubts about its compatibility with a competitive environment.
“Following its analysis, the Competition Council found that the operation does not raise significant obstacles to effective competition on the Romanian market or on a substantial part of it, and there are no serious doubts regarding its compatibility with a normal competitive environment,” the Competition Council said.
East Grain, founded in 2007, has built a robust regional footprint across Romania, Hungary, and Serbia. Its core business spans trading cereals and oilseeds as well as providing logistics, storage, processing, and integration services.
In a press release issued late July 2025, East Grain announced the successful acquisition of 90 percent of Maragro Group. The company’s operations include roughly 9,600 hectares of farmland, advanced oilseed processing capabilities, and a high-tech seed selection and treatment facility.
Founder and co-owner Marco Chiaradia will retain a 10 percent stake in Maragro and remain actively involved in its management, ensuring strategic continuity and preserving institutional memory.
In 2023, East Grain posted revenues of approximately US$150.4 million and a net profit of just US$21,500, a considerable decline from the previous year’s US$1.05 million.
In October 2023, Agrofert, a Central European agrifood powerhouse founded by former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, became the majority owner of East Grain, acquiring a 65 per cent stake via a capital increase.
This move was hailed as the most significant foreign investment in Romanian agribusiness in that year, positioning East Grain as a strategic partner within Agrofert’s broader Central and Eastern European network.
Global law firm Dentons provided full-spectrum legal assistance, navigating the due diligence, transaction structuring, and the required warranty and indemnity coverage. On the advisory front, East Grain’s internal team, along with counsel from Kinstellar, UniCredit Bank Romania, and BICF, played a pivotal role in finalizing the acquisition.
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