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Norway's largest fruit and vegetable company Bama has marked its 125th anniversary by inviting people to donate to a Red Cross campaign aiming to provide drought relief in east Africa.

During a special event in Oslo on 28 September to celebrate the anniversary, the company said it expected donations to reach more than NKr1m (€127,709) as a result of additional contributions from around 600 invited guests.

So far, Bama's campaign has raised a total of NKr900,000 (€114,938) and is expected to increase further between now and the closing date of 31 October.

'This is a wonderful contribution and shows great commitment from both the management and employees of Bama,' said Sven Mollekleiv, secretary-general of the Norwegian branch of the Red Cross.

'This will enable the Red Cross to help more people who are in extreme distress in the Horn of Africa.'

Bama chief executive Rune Flaen commented: 'We wanted to use our anniversary to contribute in whatever way we could to the important work done by the Red Cross.

He added: 'Throughout out 100-year history we have imported fruit and vegetables from around the world, including Africa.

'Therefore, we believed it was natural to support the work the Red Cross is doing right now in the Horn of Africa.'