Turnover of the Sino-Dutch dairy company Ausnutria fell by 15.1 % to EUR 517.5 million in the first half of 2022. The operating result amounted to 50.9 million and was thus 56.8 % lower. Compared to the first half of 2021, profit decreased by 62.9% to 31.6 million. The stringent COVID-19 measures in China combined with the decline in the birth rate are impacting Ausnutria’s numbers. Developments outside China are positive, the company said.
Lower sales in the first half of this year are mainly due to a decline in private label infant formula revenue. This is the short-term result of structural adjustments Ausnutria has made to its distribution strategy in China to better respond to market changes in the future. The war in Ukraine is affecting the company to a limited extent. Rail transport to China is partially disrupted.
Ausnutria manages to keep the decline in earnings at a manageable level and sees opportunities to further expand the company’s sustainable development in the long term. This is done through continued investment in scientific research, product diversification, operational efficiency and further strengthening of the global supply chain. For the second half of the year, Ausnutria expects sales and net profit growth of more than 10%.
At the end of last year, the new can factory in Heerenveen started production and in the middle of last year the construction of a new ultrafiltration plant in Heerenveen was completed. The construction of the new drying tower in Heerenveen is progressing according to plan. It is equipped with a completely gas-free production process and the energy saving compared to a conventional drying tower is about 40 %. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2023.
