Groupe Danone SA, the world"s largest yoghurt producer, has reported a decline in Q3/09 sales, following the sale of the Frucor division and the appreciation of the euro against other currencies.
Danone sales lost 1.7 per cent in July - September to 3.78 billion EUR (5.7 billion USD). The sale of the soft drink producer Frucor in end-2008 caused a 1.3 per cent decrease in the overall Danone turnover, whereas the depreciation of the pound sterling, the zloty, the rouble and the Mexican peso against the euro caused sales to diminish by 4.5 per cent.
Dairy sales - the company"s premier source of revenue - increased by 7 per cent in volume, compared to a 2.7 per cent progress in the second quarter. In terms of value, sales gained 2.4 per cent to 2.15 billion EUR.