Russian vegoil maker Efco in talks to buy former Bunge plant, sources say

MOSCOW, April 4 (Reuters) - Russia's leading sunflower oil maker Efco is in talks to buy oil extraction plant, which used to be owned by U.S. crop commodities trader Bunge Global BG.N , several market and industry sources told Reuters. Bunge sold its Russian assets in 2023 after Russia launched military action in Ukraine and exited the country. The plant, located in the Voronezh region, can process over half a million tons of sunflower seeds per year. Efco declined to comment on the talks. Efco is Russia's second producer of consumer oils and fats after Rusagro, whose founder was arrested last week in a case related to an acquisition of a major oil and fats producer as part of the firm's efforts to expand in that business. Russia is the world's largest sunflower oil exporter and represents about 7% of the global oil and fats trade, with the sector contributing about one-fifth of Russia's total agricultural exports. (Reporting by Olga Popova, writing by Gleb Bryanski, Editing by Louise Heavens) ((gleb.bryanski@thomsonreuters.com;))