French dairy products group Fromageries Bell has reported preliminary consolidated turnover for 2002 at €1.71bn (US$1.84).

This is just slightly behind the €1.74bn the group posted the previous year, reports Boursorama.

During the fourth quarter, Fromageries Bel posted preliminary turnover of €453.2m, down from €479.7m in the same period of 2001. In the first nine months of 2002, turnover declined 0.8% to €1.252bn. Turnover fell 3% in the third quarter to €422.6m year-on-year.