As part of its forthcoming investments, Agricola International Bacau is aiming to modernise its farm in Brad, according to Grigore Horoi, the company’s chief executive. The firm makes a wide range of processed poultry, pork and mutton meat products.

“In 2016, we plan to further develop our two flagship products, the Sibiu Salami and Happy Chicken. I expect that we will maintain our positive growth trend, with an expansion of 5 per cent compared with our sales in 2015, and even exceed this level,” Mr Horoi told local business daily Capital.

"Once completed, the investments will allow us to increase our output capacity by between 25 per cent and 30 per cent. In 2015, we launched our raw and dry salami production facility under an investment worth €3.5 million.”

In addition to the domestic market, the Romanian meat processor exports a significant share of its output, with some of the main export destinations including the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Malta, Macedonia and Kosovo.

Last year, Agricola International Bacau exported about 13 per cent of poultry meat products from its own farms, 23 per cent of its pre-prepared meals, 8 per cent of the company’s raw and dry salami products, and close to 20 per cent of its sausages, according to data from the firm.

The meat processor is based in Bacau, in the country’s eastern part.

Agricola International Bacau is part of Romania’s leading conglomerate Agricola Group which reported aggregate sales of about RON 655.6 million (€146.4 million) for 2015. Of these, some RON 366 million (€81.7 million) were generated by the Buzau-based meat processor which represented an increase of 3.5 per cent compared with 2014.