PAPER and pulp group Sappi said on Friday it has received an offer from Italy’s Favini Group to acquire its Astralux brand of cast coated papers. Sappi said in a statement that acceptance of the offer would result in the production of cast coated papers at its Blackburn mill in Britain ceasing on May 14, 2000 at a cost of 60 jobs. ”We are convinced that the cast coated market requires consolidation,” said Sappi Europe chief executive, Wolfgang Pfarl.