TIDMMPE
RNS Number : 7985Y
M. P. Evans Group PLC
14 September 2020
M.P. EVANS GROUP PLC
M.P. Evans Group PLC ("MP Evans" or "the Group"), a producer of
Indonesian palm oil, announces its unaudited interim results for
the six months ended 30 June 2020.
highlights
-- 16% increase in first-half crop
-- 31% increase of CPO produced, including fresh fruit bunches bought in
-- 23% increase in average price of CPO cif Rotterdam to US$648 per tonne
-- Cost of palm product maintained at US$385 per tonne
-- Operating profit US$6.0 million (2019 US$1.0 million)
-- Interim dividend maintained at 5.00 pence per share
Post-period end
-- Agreement to dispose of 70 hectares of land in Malaysia for US$24.1 million
Commenting on the results, the chairman of M.P. Evans, Peter
Hadsley-Chaplin, said: -
"Excellent crop growth during the first half of 2020, combined
with a marked increase in the price of CPO, produced a healthy
increase in profit. Operating profit for the period was US$6.0
million compared with US%1.0 million in 2019. World demand for CPO
is recovering from the immediate effects of the Covid-19 pandemic
and, given both the crop and price prospects for the coming months,
the Group is maintaining its interim dividend."
14 September 2020
Enquires:
M.P. Evans Group PLC 020 7220 0500 on 14 September 2020
only
Thereafter telephone 01892 516333
Peter Hadsley-Chaplin Chairman
Tristan Price Chief executive
Matthew Coulson Finance director
finnCap 020 7220 0500
Tim Redfern
Chris Raggett
Sunila de Silva
Peel Hunt LLP 020 7418 8900
Dan Webster
George Sellar
Guy Pengelley
Hudson Sandler 020 7796 4133
Charlie Jack
Elfie Kent
An analysts' meeting will be held remotely at 9.30 a.m. and
those wishing to participate should contact
mpevans@hudsonsandler.com for further details.
Overview
Operating profit for the first half of 2020 was US$6.0 million
compared with US$1.0 million in the first half of 2019. This
reflected an increase in gross profit from US$2.2 million to US$8.9
million as both prices and volumes increased. At the same time,
cost per tonne remained the same. Overall, crop from the Group's
areas rose by 16% during the first half of 2020 compared with the
previous year, as did crop in the scheme-smallholder areas managed
by the Group on behalf of smallholder co-operatives. There was a
rather stronger increase, of 157%, in crop bought from
third-parties following a decision in the middle of 2019 to promote
purchases of outside crop. This increase occurred in all areas, but
notably at Kota Bangun where the Group has been able to purchase
fresh fruit bunches ("ffb") from other commercial operators who
have not yet built their own mill. Altogether, therefore, the Group
processed 34% more ffb than during the first half of 2019.
The Group holds itself to high operational standards in its
plantations and its mills. This can be seen in the consistently
high extraction rates that the Group achieves. This has continued
to be the case in 2020: oil extraction in Group mills was 23.5%. By
comparison with 2019, the Group's rate of oil extraction fell
marginally, by 0.1%, as a result of a sharp increase in the
proportion of independent smallholder fruit purchased by the
Pangkatan mill. Whilst these purchases represent a profitable use
of spare capacity at the mill, the quality of the bought-in ffb is
lower than that produced in the Group's own areas and those of its
scheme smallholders. This also affected the rate of palm-kernel
extraction in Pangkatan.
The Group produced positive operating cash flow of US$4.5
million in the six months to June 2020 (2019 US$4.5 million) even
after taking into account an increase in working capital of US$5.2
million. Capital investment of US$16.6 million was met through
operating cash flows, planned use of the Group's cash balance and a
small amount of additional debt. At the end of June, the Group's
gross debt stood at US$97.7 million compared with US$94.5 million
at the end of 2019. The Group continues to manage its debt in a
careful and conservative manner. This has allowed it to continue
its investment in new plantations and milling capacity at an
optimal rate. The Group therefore expects substantially to complete
the investment programme on its existing projects by the end of
2022, very significantly reducing demands on operating cash flow
whilst crop and production levels are expected to continue to grow.
If maintained, the recovery in CPO prices discussed under 'The
palm-oil market' below would lead to a reduction in the Group's net
debt position from its high point, funded from within existing
facilities, reached during 2020.
Whilst not accounted for in the results to June 2020, following
the end of the half the Group signed a conditional agreement to
dispose of 70 hectares of land in Malaysia for US$23.5 million.
This value was in line with the valuation published in its 2019
annual report. The proceeds will be paid over a three-year period
and support investment in the Group's Indonesian oil-palm
projects.
Covid-19 pandemic and other risks
The global Covid-19 pandemic has had little effect on the
Group's operations. The wellbeing of our employees has remained a
priority, and as soon as the widespread nature of the virus became
known, preventative measures were quickly introduced to protect the
Group's employees. These included restricting staff travel,
limiting access to our plantations and putting the Jakarta office
onto remote working. All estates and mills have continued to
operate without interruption during the pandemic; its effect on the
price of CPO is described in the section "The palm-oil market"
below. In light of the potential for new risks to emerge as a
result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Group has reviewed its
principal risks. It concluded there were no additional risks to
those disclosed in the 2019 annual report.
Dividend
The board proposes to pay an interim dividend of 5.00 pence per
share (2019 - 5.00 pence per share). As previously announced, the
board intends, where possible, to increase or at least to maintain
the level of normal dividends. The board plans to maintain this
long-standing policy given the unusual circumstances leading to
price weakness during the earlier part of the year, significant
price increases since the middle of May, and strong increases in
crop and production projected over the coming years.
The palm-oil market
The palm-oil price rose strongly at the end of 2019 and into the
start of 2020. This rise was prompted by expectations of modest
vegetable-oil supply increases during 2020 failing to match
increased demand, combined with depleted stock levels compared with
recent years. However, the price of crude palm oil fell sharply
from the middle of February as the global Covid-19 pandemic took
hold and bore down on demand and trade: exports of CPO during the
first half of 2020 were 13% lower than a year earlier. Global CPO
stocks began to build up again in the second quarter, having fallen
in the first months of the year, but remain at a multi-year low.
Hence, despite a background of tight supply of all major vegetable
oils, the price reached a low point of US$510 per tonne cif
Rotterdam in the middle of May. During June, trade in CPO picked up
and the price recovered on a rising trend to reach US$585 at the
end of the month. On average, the price of CPO cif Rotterdam during
the first half of 2020 was US$648 per tonne, 23% higher than the
US$528 per tonne recorded in the first half of 2019.
Palm-kernel-oil prices strengthened in 2020 compared with 2019.
This was particularly noticeable at the beginning of the year,
after which prices fell despite a sharp dip in production of its
main competitor, coconut oil, during the second quarter.
Results for the period
Crops
In total, crops from the Group's own areas increased to 334,100
tonnes compared with 287,200 in the first half of 2019. The very
high pace of crop growth during the first two months of the year
moderated coming into the second quarter and then maintained a
steady rate to finish the half 16% ahead of crops in the same
period of 2019.
This increase in crop was due largely to continued strides being
made at Bumi Mas, the Group's newest estate purchased in 2017, and
at Musi Rawas. At Bumi Mas, improvements in agronomic standards as
well as investment in the road network have allowed the Group to
access, harvest and transport increasing ffb from this highly
promising estate. In Musi Rawas, young areas continue to come into
maturity and so are being harvested for the first time. The project
is still young, so crop increase is coming off a low base at
present but is expected to strengthen significantly over the coming
years. Replanting carried out at the long-held Pangkatan group and
Simpang Kiri estates is becoming visible in the crop figures.
Drier weather in the middle of 2019 affected the formation of
ffb in Kota Bangun and, more acutely, in Bangka. Kota Bangun was
able to achieve the same level of crop in 2020 as in 2019 whilst
Bangka saw an 8% decline. Crop is expected to increase during the
second half in both areas, but in Bangka over the year as a whole
is likely to fall short of the levels achieved in 2019. In Kota
Bangun, the second mill begins its commissioning later this month,
and planting of areas previously affected by flooding, but now
protected by bunds, is nearing completion. The mill at Bumi Mas is
under construction. There is a risk that its planned completion in
mid 2021 will be delayed due to travel restrictions imposed as a
result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
At 16%, the level of crop increase from scheme smallholders was
the same as that for the Group, rising to 84,600 tonnes. The
Group's mills are designed to handle the Group's and scheme
smallholders' crop at the point these plantings reach peak yield;
up to this point the mills have spare capacity, which is being
profitably used by buying in ffb from third parties. The Group
purchased a significantly higher volume of ffb from third parties,
notably in Kota Bangun and Pangkatan. In Kota Bangun, purchases
from independent sources had been reduced in 2019 as the Group
searched for reliable sources of ffb. Taking this into account,
total crop increased by 34%.
Crop on the Group's 38%-owned associated-company estate,
Kerasaan, was 29,400 tonnes during the first half of 2020, 8%
higher than in the previous year as the estate is gradually
increasing yield following replanting carried out between 2008 and
2012.
Production
The Group produced 124,800 tonnes of CPO in the first half of
2020, and 27,800 tonnes of palm kernels. Production of CPO was 31%
higher than in the previous year; that of palm kernels 28% higher.
These rates were lower than the increase in total ffb processed
since the crop from newer areas is sold to outside mills which
offer lower rates of extraction than the Group's own mills.
Efficiency in the Group's mills has remained high. Aggregated
extraction in its own mills was 23.5%, notwithstanding the
significant tonnage of ffb bought from independent smallholders
that is of a lower quality than the Group's own ffb. At Kota
Bangun, the rate of palm-kernel extraction fell due to the crop
from very young palms being purchased from outside which, as
expected, contains smaller kernels.
Whilst the Group does not have its own mills at Bumi Mas, Musi
Rawas and Simpang Kiri, it sells its ffb to local mills based on
the commodity price for CPO and an assumed rate of extraction. To
reflect the substance of this arrangement, oil produced from the
crop grown on these estates has been included in CPO production.
The extraction rate offered by third-party mills fluctuates in line
with their own capacity and availability of crop generally.
Of the Group's production, 53% is certified sustainable palm
oil. Certification is awarded to mills rather than for the crop, so
as the Group's crop increases in areas where it does not yet have
its own mills, this percentage will fall in the short term.
However, the percentage of sustainable production will then rise as
the Group constructs its own mills. The Group is committed to
achieving full traceability of the CPO it produces, so is working
with independent smallholders who want to supply it with ffb to
achieve Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil ("RSPO") certification.
By 2024, the Group anticipates that all of its production, other
than from Simpang Kiri, will be certified sustainable. In the
meantime, all of the Group's crop and that of its scheme
smallholders is produced in full accordance with RSPO
standards.
Crops, production and selling-price details for the estates
controlled by the Group are as follows:-
6 months ended 6 months ended Year ended
30 June Increase/ 30 June 31 December
2020 (decrease) 2019 2019
Tonnes % Tonnes Tonnes
------------------------------ ----------- ---------- --------------- ------------
Crop
Fresh fruit bunches
Own crops
Kota Bangun 86,300 - 86,300 194,000
Bangka 52,000 (8) 56,600 128,900
Pangkatan group 79,000 10 71,500 164,300
Bumi Mas 78,900 60 49,300 122,000
Musi Rawas 15,800 210 5,100 15,400
Simpang Kiri 22,100 20 18,400 38,700
334,100 16 287,200 663,300
----------- --------------- ------------
Scheme smallholder crops
Kota Bangun 38,900 1 38,600 87,300
Bangka 24,900 5 23,700 57,500
Bumi Mas 13,800 68 8,200 19,600
Musi Rawas 7,000 192 2,400 7,700
----------- --------------- ------------
84,600 16 72,900 172,100
----------- --------------- ------------
Independent smallholder
crop
processed
Kota Bangun 53,600 807 5,900 39,600
Bangka 58,900 63 36,200 105,200
Pangkatan group 18,400 109 8,800 21,300
130,900 157 50,900 166,100
549,600 34 411,000 1,001,500
----------- --------------- ------------
Production
Crude palm oil
Kota Bangun 43,600 37 31,800 79,000
Bangka 31,400 16 27,000 67,400
Pangkatan group 22,000 19 18,500 42,800
----------- --------------- ------------
97,000 25 77,300 189,200
----------- --------------- ------------
Bumi Mas 18,400 53 12,000 29,500
Musi Rawas 4,600 188 1,600 4,800
Simpang Kiri 4,800 17 4,100 8,400
----------- --------------- ------------
27,800 57 17,700 42,700
----------- --------------- ------------
124,800 31 95,000 231,900
----------- --------------- ------------
Palm kernels
Kota Bangun 8,600 26 6,800 17,000
Bangka 7,700 18 6,500 16,200
Pangkatan group 5,100 13 4,500 10,100
----------- --------------- ------------
21,400 20 17,800 43,300
----------- --------------- ------------
Bumi Mas 4,400 63 2,700 6,800
Musi Rawas 1,000 150 400 1,100
Simpang Kiri 1,000 11 900 1,800
----------- --------------- ------------
6,400 60 4,000 9,700
----------- --------------- ------------
27,800 28 21,800 53,000
----------- --------------- ------------
Extraction rate % % %
Crude palm oil
Kota Bangun 24.4 - 24.3 24.6
Bangka 23.1 - 23.1 23.1
Pangkatan group 22.6 (2) 23.1 23.1
----------- --------------- ------------
23.5 - 23.6 23.7
----------- --------------- ------------
Bumi Mas 19.9 (4) 20.8 20.9
Musi Rawas 20.3 (6) 21.5 20.6
Simpang Kiri 21.5 (4) 22.3 21.8
----------- --------------- ------------
Palm kernels
Kota Bangun 4.8 (8) 5.2 5.3
Bangka 5.7 2 5.6 5.6
Pangkatan group 5.2 (5) 5.5 5.4
----------- --------------- ------------
5.2 (3) 5.4 5.4
----------- --------------- ------------
Bumi Mas 4.8 2 4.7 4.8
Musi Rawas 4.6 (4) 4.8 4.6
Simpang Kiri 4.5 (10) 5.0 4.8
Average selling prices US$ US$ US$
Crude palm oil (cif
Rotterdam) 648 19 528 556
Palm-kernel oil 718 16 605 668
------------------------------ ----------- ---------- --------------- ------------
Costs
The cost per tonne of palm product (CPO and palm kernels)
produced from the Group's estates was US$385, the same level as in
the first half of 2019. There was a small increase in unit costs
associated with additional labour deployed to maintain newly-mature
areas, and there was a significant increase in depreciation on
mature plantation hectarage. These were offset by efficiencies in
other areas and higher volumes of crop processed. As is usual, the
unit cost is expected to fall during the second half of the
year.
The cost of palm product from ffb supplied by smallholders
attached to the Group's projects is a little higher than US$385,
reflecting the high level of the commodity price of CPO at the
beginning of the year, to which purchases of their ffb are pegged.
This also affected the cost of palm product milled from independent
smallholders' ffb, which was higher again than scheme smallholder
production on account of these ffb inherently yielding less oil
than ffb produced under the Group's management.
The Group has experienced falling unit costs as the young palms
on its new projects matured and so crop volume and average bunch
weight rose, irrespective of the CPO price. The Group's ability to
convert ffb to palm oil and kernels at a diminishing cost per tonne
demonstrates its position as an efficient low-cost operator. The
Group projects increasing crop volumes in future, but is reaching a
point in its development where the benefit of this increased volume
on unit costs will largely be absorbed by cost inflation in
production.
Mill-gate price
Compared with the low CPO prices that held sway during the first
half of 2019, prices were significantly higher in the first half of
2020, as described in the section 'The palm-oil market' above. The
average cif Rotterdam price for the period was US$648 or 23% higher
than in the first half of 2019. The rise in the palm-oil price fed
quickly through to the mill-gate price received by the Group.
During the first half of 2020, the Group received on average US$533
per tonne of CPO, US$80 more than in the first half of 2019. At the
same time, the average sustainability premium additionally received
by the Group diminished by US$1 to US$8 per tonne.
For palm kernels, the Group received US$289 per tonne, somewhat
higher than the US$254 in the previous year, following a modest
recovery in the price of palm-kernel oil. In addition, the Group
received US$9 per tonne in both periods in sustainability premia
available for suitably certificated kernels.
Planting
Essentially all of the Group's new planting is at Musi Rawas.
Development here remains paused to allow the Group time to assess
the new RSPO standards introduced in 2019 and obtain the RSPO's
confirmation that it complies with them. This is necessary for the
ffb from these areas to be certified as being produced sustainably.
As a result of this, the only new planting was 28 hectares in Kota
Bangun. In North Sumatra, no replanting is planned for 2020.
New land
The Group is exploring the acquisition of additional hectarage
close to its existing projects to bring them to an optimal size.
The Group's experience is that 10,000 hectares of oil palm with a
60-tonne mill provides a unit that is both big enough to provide
economies of scale in production and administration, and small
enough to allow the careful scrutiny by field management needed to
maintain high standards. The Group's projects in Bangka and Musi
Rawas, including scheme-smallholder areas, are of this size and the
board is seeking eventually to extend the Kota Bangun project from
the current 15,000 hectares towards the equivalent of two
10,000-hectare units.
Associated company: Malaysia
Bertam Properties Sdn. Berhad ("Bertam Properties"), 40% held,
broke even in the six months to June 2020 compared with the Group's
share in profit of US$0.5 million for the equivalent period in
2019. A break-even result for 2020 demonstrates a certain
continuing resilience in the market for the types of properties
developed by Bertam Properties, and of the Penang region, as
compared with the general slowdown in the Malaysian property market
overall.
Result
As a result of the operational outcomes described above, gross
profit for the first half of 2020 was US$8.9 million, US$6.7
million higher than the US$2.2 million recorded for the same period
in 2019. Operating profit for the period was US$6.0 million, six
times higher than that recorded for the first half of 2019. Net
finance costs of US$1.6 million were similar to the previous year.
The rate of corporation tax in Indonesia decreased on 1 January
2020 from 25% to 22%, and will decrease to 20% from 2021 onwards.
After interest, tax and its share in the profits of associated
companies, the Group made a profit of US$4.3 million compared with
a loss of US$0.5 million in 2019.
CURRENT TRADING AND PROSPECTS
During July 2020, CPO prices strengthened from just below US$600
per tonne to reach a high point of US$740 per tonne. Since then the
price has fluctuated, mainly trading within a band of US$700 to
US$720 per tonne. At the end of the first week of September, the
price stood at US$720 per tonne against the anticipated background
of tight supply of all major vegetable oils and recovery in demand,
notably in India and China, following the shock of the Covid-19
pandemic. Overall, production increase in palm oil is expected to
slow compared with 2019. The likely positive impact of this on
prices may be at least partly counterbalanced by a lower demand for
palm biodiesel in the face of low mineral-oil prices. The forward
markets for CPO anticipate further price increases before the end
of the year and a price holding firm into 2021.
The strong pace of the Group's crop growth during the first half
of the year abated somewhat during the third quarter. This was as
its estates in Bangka and Kota Bangun felt the effects of a dry
period in, respectively, the middle quarters of 2019, and the end
of 2019 and the early months of 2020. The conditions in these areas
have also had some impact on the availability of crop to buy from
third parties, so the Group will not in the second half of 2020
match the volume of third-party crop purchased in the equivalent
period in 2019.Crop volumes are, however, expected to improve
during the fourth quarter. The Group has put measures in place in
respect of Covid-19, and does not expect the pandemic to affect its
ability to harvest ffb or produce CPO. The increasing maturity of
the Group's palms in all areas provide the basis for significant
growth in crop into the middle of decade, and hence rising revenue,
even without the acquisition of any further hectarage. The Group
anticipates increasing production of certified sustainable palm oil
as it completes the development of its new projects.
The board remains confident that the fundamentals of the
palm-oil market continue to be encouraging. Vegetable oil is a
basic foodstuff and increasing demand from a growing world
population looks likely to persist. In the longer term,
insufficient levels of replanting in Malaysia and a reduction in
new Indonesian planting are likely to curb growth in production.
Palm oil delivers by far the highest yield per hectare of all the
vegetable oils and has the lowest cost of production. Hence, the
board remains of the view that palm oil is well placed to benefit
from rising global demand for vegetable oil and, therefore, that
the outlook for the Group remains positive.
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENT
FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020
6 months 6 months
ended ended Year ended
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019 2019
Note US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Continuing operations
Revenue 3 75,894 46,249 119,341
Cost of sales (67,023) (44,086) (102,297)
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Gross profit 3 8,871 2,163 17,044
(Loss)/gain on biological assets (647) 408 927
Foreign-exchange losses (799) (72) 1,161
Other administrative expenses (2,207) (1,689) (3,466)
Other income 824 230 458
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Operating profit 6,042 1,040 16,124
Finance income 308 108 403
Finance costs (1,928) (1,705) (3,747)
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Profit/(loss) before taxation 4,422 (557) 12,780
Tax on profit/(loss) on ordinary
activities (749) (868) (7,183)
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Profit/(loss) after tax 3,673 (1,425) 5,597
Share of associated companies' profit
after tax 3 635 907 1,873
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Profit/(loss) for the period 4,308 (518) 7,470
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Attributable to:
Owners of M.P.Evans Group PLC 3,896 (884) 6,333
Non-controlling interests 412 366 1,137
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
4,308 (518) 7,470
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
US cents US cents US cents
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Continuing operations
Basic earnings/(loss) per 10p share 7.2 (1.6) 11.6
Diluted earnings/(loss) per 10p
share 7.1 (1.6) 11.5
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Pence Pence Pence
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Basic earnings/(loss) per 10p share
Continuing operations 5.7 (1.2) 9.0
---------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
AS AT 30 JUNE 2020
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019* 2019
Note US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Non-current assets
Goodwill 11,767 11,767 11,767
Other intangible assets 1,453 1,450 1,433
Property, plant and equipment 376,199 349,611 368,744
Investments in associates 21,272 21,349 21,553
Investments 63 62 66
Deferred-tax asset 4,985 6,195 5,284
Trade and other receivables 11,555 - 11,555
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
427,294 390,434 420,402
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Current assets
Biological assets 1,419 1,547 2,067
Inventories 12,359 14,442 11,072
Trade and other receivables 44,970 48,613 45,117
Current-tax asset 3,430 4,414 4,245
Current-asset investments 329 2,547 1,160
Cash and cash equivalents 11,822 34,201 25,947
74,329 105,764 89,608
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Total assets 501,623 496,198 510,010
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Current liabilities
Borrowings 37,426 18,578 28,337
Trade and other payables 21,374 19,021 22,215
Current-tax liabilities 715 623 3,657
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
59,515 38,222 54,209
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Net current assets 14,814 67,542 35,399
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Non-current liabilities
Borrowings 60,296 48,231 66,137
Trade and other payables 151 - 265
Deferred-tax liability 10,173 11,799 12,312
Retirement-benefit obligations 10,091 9,525 9,401
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
80,711 69,555 88,115
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Total liabilities 140,226 107,777 142,324
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Net assets 361,397 388,421 367,686
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Equity
Share capital 5 9,204 9,220 9,200
Other reserves 55,514 54,832 55,385
Retained earnings 287,305 300,644 294,139
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Equity attributable to the
owners of M.P.Evans Group PLC 352,023 364,696 358,724
Non-controlling interests 9,374 23,725 8,962
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
Total equity 361,397 388,421 367,686
-------------------------------- ---- -------- -------- ------------
*restated - see note 2
UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN CONSOLIDATED TOTAL EQUITY
FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020
6 months 6 months Year
ended ended ended
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019* 2019
Note US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Profit/(loss) for the period 4,308 (518) 7,470
Other comprehensive (loss)/gain
for the period (979) 3 1,086
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Total comprehensive income/(loss)
for the period 3,329 (515) 8,556
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Issue of share capital 23 218 218
Share buy-backs (1,155) (957) (2,286)
Dividends paid 4 (8,594) (8,845) (12,364)
Credit to equity for equity-settled
share-based payments 108 184 643
Acquisition - - (25,417)
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Transactions with owners (9,618) (9,400) (39,206)
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
At 1 January 367,686 398,336 398,336
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
Balance at period end 361,397 388,421 367,686
------------------------------------- ---- --------- --------- ------------
*restated - see note 2
UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED CASH-FLOW STATEMENT
FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020
6 months 6 months Year
ended ended ended
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019* 2019
Note US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
------------------------------------------ ---- --------- --------- ------------
Net cash generated by operating
activities 6 4,514 4,522 32,002
------------------------------------------ ---- --------- --------- ------------
Investing activities
Purchase of property, plant and
equipment (16,459) (20,326) (46,531)
Purchase of intangible assets (102) (211) (721)
Interest received 308 108 210
Decrease/(increase) in bank deposits
treated as
current asset investments* 831 (45) 1,342
Decrease in receivables from smallholder
co-operatives* 3,172 1,106 4,690
Proceeds on disposal of property,
plant and equipment 206 97 489
Loan related to party - - (11,747)
Net cash used by investing activities (12,044) (19,271) (52,268)
------------------------------------------ ---- --------- --------- ------------
Financing activities
New borrowings 10,000 75,000 110,419
Repayment of borrowings (6,752) (38,247) (46,134)
Lease liability payments (104) - (167)
Dividends paid to Company shareholders (8,594) (8,845) (12,364)
Purchase of non-controlling interests - - (25,417)
Exercise of Company share options - 218 218
Buy-back of Company shares (1,155) (957) (2,286)
------------------------------------------ ---- --------- --------- ------------
Net cash (used)/generated by financing
activities (6,605) 27,169 24,269
------------------------------------------ ---- --------- --------- ------------
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and
cash equivalents (14,135) 12,420 4,003
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 January 25,947 21,626 21,626
Effect of foreign-exchange rates on cash
and cash equivalents 10 155 318
------------------------------------------------ --------- --------- ------------
Net cash and cash equivalents at
period end 11,822 34,201 25,947
------------------------------------------ ---- --------- --------- ------------
*restated - see note 2
NOTES TO THE INTERIM STATEMENTS
FOR THE SIX MONTHSED 30 JUNE 2020
Note 1 General information
The financial information for the six-month periods ended 30
June 2020 and 2019 has been neither audited nor reviewed by the
Group's auditors and does not constitute statutory accounts within
the meaning of section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The financial
information for the year ended 31 December 2019 is abridged from
the statutory accounts. The 31 December 2019 statutory accounts
have been reported on by the Group's auditors for that year, BDO
LLP, and have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The
report of the auditors thereon was unqualified and did not contain
a statement under section 498(2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006,
nor did it contain any matters to which the auditors drew attention
without qualifying their audit report.
Note 2 Accounting policies
The consolidated financial results have been prepared in
accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS
and IFRIC interpretations) issued by the International Accounting
Standards Board (IASB) as adopted by the EU, and with those parts
of the Companies Act 2006 applicable to companies preparing
accounts under IFRS.
The accounting policies of the Group follow those set out in the
annual financial statements at 31 December 2019. The Group has made
a number of critical accounting judgements and key estimates in the
preparation of this interim report, and they remain consistent with
those set out in note 3(r) to the 2019 annual financial
statements.
In the 2019 annual financial statements, adjustments were made
to the treatment of certain financial reporting items, without any
impact on reported profit or cash. For consistency, the same
adjustments have been made to the comparative figures reported here
for the six months to 30 June 2019. Specifically:
-- US$1.4 million of software has been adjusted from property,
plant and equipment to intangible assets;
-- US$2.6 million of deferred profit relating to land previously
sold to an associate has been adjusted from revaluation reserve to
investments in associates, and at the same time a US$1.3 million
debit has been adjusted from the revaluation reserve to retained
earnings; and
-- In the cash flow statement movements in receivables from
smallholder co-operatives and changes in bank deposits treated as
current-asset investments have been included in investing
activities, having previously been included in operating and
financing activities respectively.
Note 3 Segment information
The Group's reportable segments are distinguished by location
and product: palm-oil plantation crops in Indonesia and property
development in Malaysia.
Plantation Property
Indonesia Malaysia Other Total
US$'000 US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
6 months ended 30 June 2020
Revenue 75,863 - 31 75,894
Gross profit/(loss) 8,915 - (44) 8,871
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
Share of associated companies'
profit after tax
Kerasaan 592 - - 592
Bertam Properties - 43 - 43
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
592 43 - 635
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
6 months ended 30 June 2019
Revenue 46,212 - 37 46,249
Gross profit/(loss) 2,201 - (38) 2,163
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
Share of associated companies'
profit after tax
Kerasaan 372 - - 372
Bertam Properties - 535 - 535
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
372 535 - 907
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
Year ended 31 December 2019
Revenue 119,250 - 91 119,341
Gross profit/(loss) 17,100 - (56) 17,044
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
Share of associated companies'
profit after tax
Kerasaan 799 - - 799
Bertam Properties - 1,074 - 1,074
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
799 1,074 1,873
-------------------------------- ------------ --------- --------- ---------
Note 4 Dividends
6 months ended 6 months ended Year ended
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019 2019
US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
------------------------------- --------------- --------------- ------------
2018 final dividend - 12.75p
per 10p share - 8,845 8,845
2019 interim dividend - 5.00p
per 10p share - - 3,519
2019 final dividend - 12.75p 8,594 - -
per 10p share
------------------------------- --------------- --------------- ------------
8,594 8,845 12,364
------------------------------- --------------- --------------- ------------
Subsequent to 30 June 2020, the board has declared an interim
dividend of 5.00p per 10p share. The dividend will be paid on or
after 6 November 2020 to those shareholders on the register at the
close of business on 16 October 2020.
Note 5 Share capital
30 June 30 June 31 December 30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019 2019 2020 2019 2019
Number Number Number US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
-------------- ----------- ----------- ------------ -------- -------- ------------
Shares of 10p each
At 1 January 54,461,220 54,677,872 54,677,872 9,200 9,228 9,228
Issued 182,320 50,000 50,000 23 6 6
Redeemed (153,287) (109,680) (266,652) (19) (14) (34)
-------------- ----------- ----------- ------------ -------- -------- ------------
At period
end 54,490,253 54,618,192 54,461,220 9,204 9,220 9,200
-------------- ----------- ----------- ------------ -------- -------- ------------
During the period the Company issued 182,320 10p shares for
US$23,000 cash consideration with the intention to satisfy the
exercise of share options. In addition, the Company bought back and
cancelled 153,287 10p shares for a total cost of US$1,155,000.
Note 6 Analysis of movements in cash flow
6 months ended 6 months ended Year ended
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019 2019
US$'000 US$'000 US$'000
------------------------------------- ----------------- --------------- ------------
Operating profit 6,042 1,040 16,124
Biological loss/(gain) 647 (408) (927)
Disposal of property, plant
and equipment 194 10 (7)
Release of deferred profit (21) (128) (204)
Depreciation of property, plant
and equipment 8,580 7,549 15,340
Amortisation of intangible
assets 82 45 112
Remeasurement of investment - - (1)
Retirement-benefit obligation 690 1,121 1,846
Share-based payments 108 184 643
Dividends from associated companies - - 580
------------------------------------- ----------------- --------------- ------------
Operating cash flows before
movements
in working capital 16,322 9,413 33,506
(Increase)/decrease in inventories (1,287) (1,559) 1,811
Increase in receivables (3,025) (1,298) (545)
(Decrease)/increase in payables (851) 3,992 6,986
------------------------------------- ----------------- --------------- ------------
Cash generated by operating
activities 11,159 10,548 41,758
Income tax paid (4,717) (4,321) (6,009)
Interest paid (1,928) (1,705) (3,747)
------------------------------------- ----------------- --------------- ------------
Net cash generated by operating
activities 4,514 4,522 32,002
------------------------------------------ ------------ --------------- ------------
Note 7 Exchange rates
30 June 30 June 31 December
2020 2019 2019
----------------- ------------------------ ------- -------- ------------
US$1=Indonesian
Rupiah * average 14,579 14,194 14,142
* period end 14,285 14,128 13,883
------------------------------------------ ------- -------- ------------
US$1=Malaysian
Ringgit * average 4.25 4.12 4.14
* period end 4.29 4.13 4.09
------------------------------------------ ------- -------- ------------
GBP1=US Dollar * average 1.26 1.29 1.28
* period end 1.24 1.27 1.32
------------------------------------------ ------- -------- ------------
Note 8 Post-balance sheet event
On 20 July 2020, the Group entered into a conditional agreement
to sell 70 hectares of land owned by its wholly-owned subsidiary,
Bertam Consolidated Rubber Limited, to Bertam Properties Sdn
Berhad, a Malaysian property-development company in which the Group
has a 40% shareholding. Total consideration is 99.9 million
Malaysian Ringgit (approximately US$24.1 million at current
exchange rates), with 10% paid on signing of the agreement, 50%
paid once the sale conditions are completed (expected to be March
2021), and the remaining balance over the next two years.
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