Interim results Ausnutria: results under pressure due to developments in Chinese market

31-08-2022

Ausnutria Dairy Corporation Ltd. (Ausnutria) has published its 2022 interim results. Ausnutria shows a decline in revenue of 15.1 percent to €517.5 million compared to the first half of 2021. Profit decreased by 62.9 percent to €31.6 million. The operating result (EBITDA) amounted to € 50.9 million, a decrease of 56.8 percent.

 

2022 H1

Decrease (%)

2021 H1

Revenue

€ 517.5 million

15.1

€ 609.5 million

EBITDA

€   50.9 million

56.8

€ 117.8 million

Net profit

€   31.6 million

62.9

€   85.4 million

 

The strict COVID-19 measures in China in conjunction with the decline in the birth rate in China are negatively impacting Ausnutria's sales. On the other hand, developments outside China show a positive trend.

The declining growth in the first half of this year is mainly attributable to a decline in revenues from own brands of cow's milk formula. This is the short-term consequence of structural adjustments that Ausnutria has made in its distribution strategy in China in order to better respond to market changes in the future. The war in Ukraine affects business to a limited extent and limits rail transport to China.

Sustainable development

Despite the challenges, Ausnutria keeps the downturn at a manageable level and the organization was able to continue to build on its long-term sustainable development. The organization does this by continuing to invest in scientific research, product diversification, operational efficiency and by further strengthening and stabilizing its global supply chain.

Important part are the investments that have been and are being made in the Netherlands, including in Heerenveen. The new can manufacturing plant in Heerenveen started producing at the end of last year and the construction of the new ultrafiltration factory in Heerenveen was completed in the middle of last year. The construction of the new drying tower in Heerenveen is progressing according to plan. The new drying tower is equipped with a completely gas-free production process and is therefore CO2 and nitrogen-free. The energy saving compared to a traditional drying tower amounts to approx. 40%. The plant is expected to be operational in 2023.

Future

Ausnutria remains optimistic about the outlook and will continue to strengthen its core businesses and brands. Through the partnership with Yili, a major shareholder, Ausnutria expects to see an increase in its profitability as a result of benefits in scale and efficiency.

Bart van der Meer, CEO Ausnutria Dairy Corporation Ltd.: “Despite the challenges and uncertainties we are currently facing in the world, Ausnutria is confident that it can drive the development and growth of its organization. We expect a growth in turnover and net result of more than 10% for the second half year compared to 2021.”