Groupe DANONE Teams up with Alqueria to Enter the Colombian Fresh Dairy Market

Regulatory News: Groupe DANONE (Paris:BN) and Alqueria announce the creation of a joint-venture to cooperate in the production and distribution of fresh dairy products in Colombia. The joint-venture will benefit from Groupe DANONE’s technology and marketing know-how as well as the world-class distribution network and milk supply of Alqueria, leader in the Bogota region for dairy products. With a low annual per-capita consumption of 3kg, the Colombian fresh dairy market has considerable room for growth. This partnership is part of Groupe DANONE’s strategy to increase its positions in the Latin American fresh dairy market. About Groupe DANONE With around EUR 14 billion of total sales in 2006, Groupe DANONE is the world leader in fresh dairy products, and n°2 in the bottled water and the biscuit market worldwide. In fresh dairy products, Groupe DANONE posted sales of EUR 7.9 billion with strong positions in Western Europe (n°1 in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom, Belgium), in Eastern Europe (n°1 in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria), in North America (n°1 in United States), in Latin America (n°1 in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil), in North Africa and Middle-East (n°1 in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Turkey). In Latin America, Groupe DANONE posted sales of more than EUR 1.4 billion with strong positions in fresh dairy products and beverages markets. www.danone.com About ALQUERIA With about EUR 100 million in sales in 2006, ALQUERIA is n°1 in the Colombian UHT milk market. Since its creation 47 years ago, ALQUERIA has constantly improved the quality of its products to become the preferred choice among UHT brands. In 2004 ALQUERIA began the consolidation of its distribution network, enabling it today to sell its products in all regions and main cities of Colombia. The company operates 4 production facilities and 6 distribution centers, which generate more than 3000 jobs in the country.