The Italian agri-food group CIRIO has successfully concluded its 320 bn lira bid for the shares of the South Africa firm DEL MONTE, specialised in canned fruit, on the Johannesburg stock exchange. CIRIO had offered 6 rands a share for the three companies DEL MONTE (DEL MONTE ROYAL FOODS and its three holding companies DEL MONTE ROYAL HOLDING and DEL MOTE ROYAL CORPORATION). The Italian firms now has a 94% stake in the South African firm. See EI of 15 December.