Lubella and Malma winning in an increasingly polarized pasta market

The two biggest domestic pasta producers, Lubella and Malma, hope to further increase their market shares and to significantly boost their exports. However, the situation of over 700 small pasta producers, which service local markets and mostly compete on price, is much worse. According to the Polish Federation of Food Producers (PFPŻ), the total value of the annual sales in this sector is estimated at zł. 3 billion, and has a profitability rate of around 4%. "This is market with good prospects," thinks Maspex spokeswoman Dorota Liszka, which a few months ago acquired market leader Lubella, which has 26% of market sales. The second largest producer, Malma, with a market share of 23% is, according to its owner Michael Marbot, in an excellent condition with annual revenues growing at 50% for the past three years. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B4) M.M.