30th Apr 2010 07:00
PRESS RELEASE
April 30, 2010, Kyiv, Ukraine
MHP S.A.Trading update for the first quarter ended 31 March 2010
MHP S.A. (LSE: MHPC) ("MHP" or "The Company"), one of the leading agro-industrial companies in Ukraine, focusing on the production of poultry products and the cultivation of grain, is pleased to announce today its trading update for the first quarter ended 31 March 2010.
Poultry and Poultry Related Operations
During the first three months of 2010, the volume of chicken meat sales to third parties increased by more than 60% compared to the first quarter of 2009, reaching 83,000 tonnes (Q1 2009: 50,500 tonnes). The volume growth was primarily a result of the launch of the second phase of the Company's state-of-the-art Myronivka poultry farm. All the Company's poultry production facilities operated at their full production capacity during the first three months of 2010. Consumer demand for chicken remained high and the Company was able to sell close to 100% of the chicken meat produced. Average chicken meat sales prices to third parties for the first three months of 2010 remained stable year-on-year at 12.38 UAH per kg. of adjusted weight (excluding VAT) when compared to the first quarter of 2009 (Q1 2009: 12.43 UAH).
MHP's poultry production costs in the first quarter of 2010 were higher in UAH as compared to the first quarter of 2009 due to the increase in the market price of corn harvested in 2009, compared to the unusually low price of corn harvested in 2008. The Company uses the market price of corn during harvesting season to calculate its poultry production costs.
Sunflower oil production volumes increased by 63.6% year-on-year and reached 48,600 tonnes (Q1 2009: 29,700 tonnes) as a result of the launch of the new sunflower crushing plant at MHP's Katerynopilsky facility in Ukraine in September 2009. All the sunflower oil produced was sold to external customers at an average price of US$ 850 per tonne (Q1 2009: US$ 651 per tonne).
Grain Cultivation and Storage
In line with the Management's plans to further expand the Grain Growing segment in the first quarter of 2010, the Company has been gradually increasing its land bank. Currently the Company has approximately 190,000 hectares of land under control.
At this time of the year the Company is not able to forecast the yields, but based on the winter weather conditions, and given the Company's continued use of modern farming techniques, we expect MHP's grain harvest to be higher than Ukraine's average.
The 2010 spring sowing campaign is underway with all the required seeds and fertilisers already purchased.
Other Agricultural Operations
During the first quarter of 2010, sausage and cooked meat production volumes increased by 25.3% to 6,200 tonnes as compared to 4,950 tonnes in the first quarter of 2009, as the Company continues to increase the utilisation rate of its Ukrainian Bacon production facility.
MHP's average sausage and cooked meat prices during the first quarter of 2010 decreased by 2.9% to 16.98 UAH per kg excluding VAT (Q1 2009: 17.48 UAH per kg.). The decrease in average prices was due primarily to Ukrainian Bacon producing sausage and cooked meat products aimed at the mass market, and MHP shifting its product mix towards lower priced products in accordance with consumer demand.
Financial results for the first quarter of 2010 willl be announced on 20 May, 2010.
For further information please contact:
Financial Dynamics Ben Foster (London) Marc Cohen (London)
Leonid Solovyev (Moscow) Olga Terebova (Moscow)
For Investor Relations enquiries Anastasiya Sobotyuk (Kyiv)
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London: +44 20 7831 3113
Moscow: +7 495 795 06 23
Kyiv: +38 044 207 99 58 |
Notes to Editors:
About MHP
MHP was admitted to the Official List of the London Stock Exchange in May 2008. It is the leading producer of poultry products in Ukraine, with a 2009market share for industrially produced chicken meat of 43%, according to the State Committee on Statistics of Ukraine. Its "Nasha Ryaba" brand is the market leader, whilst MHP also has several other national and regional brands for processed meat products.
MHP is fully vertically integrated owning and operating each of the key stages of chicken production processes, from feed grains and fodder production to egg hatching and grow out to processing, marketing, distribution and sales (including through MHP's franchise outlets). Vertical integration reduces MHP's dependence on suppliers and its exposure to increases in raw material prices. In addition to cost efficiency, vertical integration also allows MHP to maintain strict bio-security and to control the quality of its inputs and the resulting quality and consistency of its products through to the point of sale.
MHP also has an important and expanding grain operation, producing and selling sunflower oil as a by-product of its fodder production. MHP also produces and sells beef, sausages, cooked meats convenience food products, goose meat, foie gras and fruit.
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