SOV - Sovereign Food Investments Limited - Audited Group Results for the year18 May 2012
SOV
SOV                                                                             
SOV - Sovereign Food Investments Limited - Audited Group Results for the year   
ended 29 February 2012 and notice of annual general meeting                     
Sovereign Food Investments Limited                                              
Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa                                    
Registration Number: 1995/003990/06                                             
JSE Code: SOV    ISIN: ZAE000009221                                             
("Sovereign" or "the Group" or "the Company")                                   
Audited Group Results for the year ended 29 February 2012 and notice of annual  
general meeting                                                                 
*  Turnover up 13%                                                              
*  Headline earnings up 63%                                                     
*  Net gearing improvement to 14% from 67%                                      
Statement of Financial Position                                                 
                                                      2012        2011          
                                                      R`000       R`000         
Assets                                                                          
Non-current assets                                                              
Property, plant and equipment                           829 333     846 269     
Current assets                                          287 029     269 763     
Inventories                                             35 134      23 268      
Biological assets                                       86 197      93 816      
Trade and other receivables                             97 860      98 029      
Net cash and cash equivalents                           67 838      54 650      
Total assets                                            1 116 362   1 116 032   
Equity and liabilities                                                          
Share capital and premium                               272 999     127 683     
Non-distributable reserve and share based payments      76 378      53 775      
Retained earnings                                       323 828     280 859     
Equity                                                  673 205     462 317     
Non-current liabilities                                271 211     433 753      
Interest bearing borrowings                             131 367     316 775     
Deferred taxation                                       139 844     116 978     
Current liabilities                                     171 946     219 962     
Current portion of interest bearing borrowings          28 930      46 910      
Trade, other payables and provisions                    143 016     173 052     
Total equity and liabilities                            1 116 362   1 116 032   
Statement of Comprehensive Income                                               
                                                      2012        2011          
                                                      R`000       R`000         
Revenue                                                1 258 694   1 113 110    
Operating profit before depreciation and amortisation  109 034     116 390      
Depreciation and amortisation                          34 724      32 086       
Profit before finance costs                            74 310      84 304       
Net finance costs                                       18 925     48 673       
Profit before taxation                                 55 385      35 631       
Deferred taxation                                      12 416      8 550        
Profit after taxation                                  42 969      27 081       
Other comprehensive income for the year - gain on                               
revaluation of property, plant and equipment           23 498      23 735       
Total comprehensive income for the year                66 467      50 816       
Weighted average shares in issue (`000)                78 274      47 817       
Earnings per share (cents)                              54,9        56,6        
Headline earnings per share (cents)                     57,9        58,1        
Diluted earnings per share (cents)                      54,9       56,4         
Diluted headline earnings per share (cents)             57,9       57,9         
Reconciliation between earnings and headline earnings                           
Earnings after taxation                                42 969      27 081       
Reconciling items:                                                              
Disposal of property, plant and equipment              684         661          
Taxation effect                                        1 684       56           
Headline earnings after taxation                       45 337      27 798       
Statement of Cash Flows                                                         
                                                          2012      2011        
R`000     R`000       
Cash generated from operations before working capital                           
changes                                                     108 756   116 638   
Changes in working capital                                 (33 370)   46 438    
Cash generated from operating activities                   75 386     163 076   
Net finance costs                                          (18 925)  (48 673)   
Net cash flows from operating activities                    56 461   114 403    
Net cash flows from investing in property, plant and                            
equipment                                                  (22 463)  (45 037)   
Proceeds on the sale of property, plant and equipment       37 263   11 445     
Net cash flows from shares issued                           145 316  (6 692)    
Net cash flows from debt repaid                            (203 389) (73 697)   
Net movement in cash and cash equivalents                   13 188   422        
Net cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the                           
year                                                        54 650    54 228    
Net cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year        67 838   54 650     
Statement of Changes in Equity                                                  
                          Share             Non-                                
                          capital Share-    distributable                       
                          and     based     revaluation    Retained             
premium payments   reserve       earnings  Total      
                          R`000   R`000     R`000          R`000     R`000      
2012                                                                            
Opening balance            127 683  1 192     52 583         280 859  462 317   
Ordinary shares issued     145 316 -         -              -         145 316   
Net value of employee                                                           
services                   -       (895)     -              -         (895)     
Total comprehensive        -       -         23 498         42 969    66 467    
income for the year                                                             
Closing balance            272 999 297       76 081         323 828   673 205   
2011                                                                            
Opening balance            134 375 895       28 848         253 778   417 896   
Ordinary shares issued     (6 692) -         -              -         (6 692)   
Net value of employee      -       297       -              -         297       
services                                                                        
Total comprehensive                                                             
income for the year        -       -         23 735         27 081    50 816    
Closing balance            127 683 1 192     52 583         280 859   462 317   
Commentary                                                                      
Results for the period under review                                             
The Group experienced a strong recovery in financial and operational performance
in the second half of the year owing to improved agricultural and production    
efficiencies, tight cost control, judicious raw material hedging and more       
favourable market conditions.                                                   
Earnings for the year ended 29 February 2012 ("FY12") improved by 55% to        
R55,4 million, with profit after tax increasing by 59% to R43,0 million from    
R27,1 million in the previous year ("FY11"). However, owing to the dilutionary  
effect of the rights offer which was concluded in March 2011 ("Rights Offer"),  
headline earnings per share decreased marginally to 57,9 cents from 58,1 cents  
for FY11.                                                                       
Turnover increased by 13%, driven by 2% volume growth and 11% average price     
increase whilst the national average price of frozen poultry increased by 10%   
for the 2011 calendar year. The volume of imported poultry remained high for    
the year under review and increased by 40% to 395 178 tons compared to 282 160  
tons for FY11. However, additional import duties were imposed on selected       
products from Brazil in February 2012, which may result in a decrease in import 
volumes in the coming year.                                                     
Despite the impact of disease in the first half of the year increasing          
mortalities by 3% year-on-year, overall agricultural performance improved with  
live mass per bird increasing by 5%, feed conversion ratio ("FCR") improving by 
4% and the Group`s performance efficiency factor ("PEF") improving by 8%.       
The improvement in FCR was offset by a 14% increase in the cost of broiler feed,
resulting in an overall increase of 10% in broiler feed costs per unit sold.    
This increase in the cost of broiler feed must however be seen in the context   
of a South African maize market where the spot price of white maize on the      
South African Futures Exchange ("SAFEX") increased by 70% and of an             
international soya market where the spot price of soya beans on the Chicago     
Board of Trade ("CBOT") increased by 41% from FY11 to FY12.                     
Non-feed costs increased by 14% per unit sold in the period under review, driven
largely by increases in payroll costs as a result of once off payments and      
restructuring costs, increased costs of packaging and value added materials due 
to changes in product mix, and increased utility and energy costs. These higher 
non-feed costs placed pressure on the Group`s operating margin which declined by
1,7%.                                                                           
Owing to the proceeds received from the Rights Offer and stronger cash          
generation in the second half, net finance costs declined to R18,9 million for  
the period under review.                                                        
The majority of the R23 million of capital expenditure was utilised to increase 
production of new product lines and to improve process flows at the abattoir.   
Net working capital increased to 6,1% of turnover as at 29 February 2012        
primarily due to a decrease in the amount owing to trade creditors. The levels  
of inventories, biological assets and debtors at year end were consistent with  
the previous year.                                                              
Following on from the Rights Offer and the sale of Accurate Farm in terms of a  
BBBEE transaction, net cash on hand at year end increased by R13,2 million to   
R67,8 million. Gross long term debt declined by R203,4 million during the year  
and consequently net gearing declined to 14% at 29 February 2012.               
Prospects and industry conditions                                               
The Group has undertaken several initiatives to reduce non feed-costs which are 
expected to bear fruit in the coming year. These include head count and payroll 
reductions as well as the simplification of the Group`s supply chain.           
Although there is continued volatility in the maize and soya markets, maize     
prices appear to be in a downward recovery cycle. Maize and soya prices and the 
current high levels of poultry imports will have an impact on operating margins 
for the coming year.                                                            
Notice of annual general meeting                                                
Notice is hereby given that the annual general meeting of the Company will be   
held at 10:00 on Friday, 3 August 2012 at the registered offices of the Company 
in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape.                                                     
Dividend                                                                        
Although the Group has restructured its capital base during the year under      
review, the Directors consider it prudent not to declare a dividend. The        
Directors will continue to reassess the dividend policy.                        
Directorate                                                                     
Mr. Mike Davis stepped down from the board of directors of Sovereign ("Board")  
on 30 August 2011 as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Charles Davies, who was       
Sovereign`s Non-executive Chairman, assumed the role of Executive Chairman and  
Mr. Litha Nyhonyha was appointed as the Board`s Lead Independent Director until 
such time as a new Chief Executive Officer is appointed.                        
Accounting policies                                                             
The abridged condensed annual financial statements have been prepared in        
accordance with the International Accounting Standard 34: Interim Financial     
Reporting, the AC500 series of interpretations as issued by the Accounting      
Practices Board or its successor, the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited  
and the Companies Act of South Africa 2008 as amended. The accounting policies, 
which comply with International Financial Reporting Standards, have been        
consistently applied in all material respects in the current and comparative    
years.                                                                          
These results have been audited by the Group`s independent auditors, PKF (PE)   
Inc. Their unmodified audit report, dated 17 May 2012, is available for         
inspection at the registered offices of the Group.                              
By order of the Board                                                           
CP Davies                              C Coombes                                
Executive Chairman                     Chief Financial Officer                  
This report has been prepared under the supervision of C Coombes CA(SA)         
18 May 2012                                                                     
E-mail:  info@sovfoods.co.za                                                    
Transfer Secretaries                                                            
Computershare Investor Services (Pty) Limited, PO Box 61051, Marshalltown 2107, 
Gauteng                                                                         
Company Secretary                                                               
ME Hoppe                                                                        
Sponsor                                                                         
One Capital                                                                     
Directorate                                                                     
CP Davies (Executive Chairman), LM Nyhonyha* (Lead Independent Director)*,      
JA Bester*, C Coombes, Prof PM Madi*, T Pritchard*, GG Walter,                  
BJ van Rensburg                                                                 
* Non-executive                                                                 
www.sovfoods.co.za                                                              
Date: 18/05/2012 07:05:05 Produced by the JSE SENS Department.                  
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