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ADAMA delivers another quarter of record sales exceeding $1 billion
Aug. 28, 2018
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IsraelAdama Agricultural Solutions Ltd. (“Solutions”), together with Hubei Sanonda Co., Ltd. (the “Listed Entity”), to be named ADAMA (together, “ADAMA” or “the Combined Company”), reported their combined consolidated financial results for the second quarter and six month period ended June 30, 2018.
Commenting on the results, Yang Xingqiang, Chairman of ADAMA’s Board of Directors, said, “Even in a period when the industry is showing signs of recovery, ADAMA continues to outperform and deliver strong, double-digit growth, reaching record sales and expanding in all key markets. Supporting this growth, we are pleased with the commercial and operational benefits of our unique China-Global infrastructure.”
Chen Lichtenstein, President and CEO of ADAMA, added, “ADAMA continues to launch new high-value added products, most notably CRONNOS® and NIMITZ® in Brazil this year. This, combined with strong, differentiated growth worldwide and price increases, is driving our sales to record levels, and as the impact of the 2017 European hedges subside, also allows us to progressively approach last year’s record profit levels.”
Performance in Context of Market Environment
The past two quarters have seen the beginnings of a recovery in demand for crop protection products in many markets, despite ongoing low soft commodity prices and farmer income.
While most agricultural commodities' prices remain subdued, in most regions inventory levels in the crop protection distribution channels are now lower in comparison to a year ago, allowing customary market activity levels to resume.
The second quarter saw a partial recovery in the European crop protection sector following a slow start to the season in the first quarter after an extended winter. ADAMA’s strong performance in the region in the second quarter nevertheless allowed it to deliver half-year results in Europe in line with last year.
As previously communicated, the negative impact of 2017 European hedge positions seen in the first quarter continued to a lesser extent into the second quarter, and is not expected to continue to impact results going forward.
ADAMA continues to deliver robust volume growth, driven by the introduction of new and differentiated products, and increased penetration in markets across the globe.
The launch of ADAMA’s innovative, triple mode-of-action soybean fungicide CRONNOS® in Brazil has started well, and is expected to make a meaningful contribution to growth starting in the second half of the year.
The Combined Company continues to maintain manufacturing cost discipline. However, higher procurement costs due to shortages in certain raw materials and intermediates, mostly owing to increased environmental focus in China, have raised product costs compared to last year. Robust demand conditions facilitate increased prices of approximately 3% across the portfolio to partially offset the higher procurement costs.
Financial Highlights
Revenues grew by 9.2% in the quarter and by 10.0% in the half-year period compared to the corresponding periods last year. Excluding the 2017 European hedge impact, revenues increased by 10.6% to $1,036 million in the quarter and by 12.1% to $2,084 million in the half-year, compared to the corresponding periods last year.
This increase was driven by volume growth of 6.2% in the quarter and 6.6% in the half-year. Especially strong performance was recorded in the Americas, China and the India, Middle East and Africa region, alongside a recovery in Europe after a delayed start to the season in the first quarter. In addition to the volume growth, improved demand conditions facilitated a stronger pricing environment, allowing the passing on of some of the impact of the constrained supply and higher procurement costs.
Gross profit in the quarter increased by 2.4% to $342 million (gross margin of 33.4%), while gross profit in the half-year increased by 4.6% to $694 million (gross margin of 33.9%), compared to the corresponding periods last year. Excluding the 2017 European hedge impact, gross profit increased by 6.3% to $354 million (gross margin of 34.2%) in the quarter and by 10.4% to $732 million (gross margin of 35.1%) in the half-year, compared to the corresponding periods last year.
The increases in gross profit in both the quarter and the half-year reflect the strong volume growth of a better product mix, as well as higher prices, which were partially offset by the increased procurement costs of raw materials and intermediates.
Region sales
Europe: Sales increased by 5.4% in the quarter and were lower by 0.7% in the half-year period in constant currency terms, compared with the corresponding periods last year. Excluding the 2017 European hedge impact, sales in the region increased by 9.8% to $316 million in the quarter and by 4.9% to $720 million in the half-year.
The increase in the quarter was driven by solid volume growth, somewhat offset by softer pricing in local currencies. The recovery in the second quarter almost completely made up for the late start to the season as a result of the extended winter in the first quarter, bringing revenues in the half year in line with last year.
Northern Europe saw a fast development of the season in the beginning of the second quarter, followed by severe drought in the entire north-east region towards the end of the quarter, reducing consumption of fungicides and insecticides . In Southern Europe, warm and wet weather in the south-west caused an increase in insect and disease pressure, driving up consumption and reducing channel inventories.
A number of new products were registered in the quarter, including CAMARO®, a dual-action cereal herbicide in Russia, SEGURIS® ERA, an innovative combination fungicide for cereals in Germany, COMPLETTO®, a plant growth regulator for winter cereals in the UK, TAVAS®, a potato herbicide in the Czech Republic and Portugal, and ARKTIS®, a cereal herbicide in France.
In US dollar terms, sales in Europe increased by 7.5% in the quarter and by 2.3% in the half-year period compared with the corresponding periods last year, reflecting the appreciation of European currencies against the US dollar. Excluding the 2017 European hedge impact, sales in the region increased by 12.0% to $322 million in the quarter and by 7.9% to $740 million in the half-year.
North America: Sales increased by 10.4% in the quarter, and by 11.8% in the half-year period in constant currency terms, compared with the corresponding periods last year, driven by strong demand supporting volume growth of an improving portfolio mix, as well as higher selling prices.
In the US, strong demand for ADAMA’s differentiated products drove volume growth and supported a generally stronger pricing environment, exacerbated by industry-wide supply shortages, compensating for the higher procurement costs. The Combined Company continues to benefit from key backward-integrated products which serve to entrench strong market positioning and facilitate market share gains.
Canada delivered a strong performance, with growth across the portfolio despite high channel inventories and dry weather conditions, which impacted sales of fungicides.
In US dollar terms, sales in North America increased by 11.1% in the quarter and 12.5% in the half-year period, compared to the corresponding periods last year.
Latin America: Sales increased by 22.5% in the quarter and by 21.8% in the half-year period in constant currency terms, compared with the corresponding periods last year. This strong performance was driven by significant volume growth and new product launches, alongside stronger pricing across most countries in the region.
The second quarter saw significant growth in Brazil, led by a robust increase in volumes and higher prices.
In one of the most important product launches to-date, ADAMA launched CRONNOS TOV® in Brazil in the second quarter. This unique three-way mixture fungicide provides growers with a highly effective and simple-to-use solution for Asian soybean rust, which is showing increasing resistance to currently available treatments. The product is expected to make a meaningful contribution to growth starting in the second half of the year.
ADAMA registered and launched a number of new products across the region including GALIL®, CORMORAN® and ALBATROSS®, new insecticides launched in Mexico, growth regulator TRITON® and vegetables insecticide KADABRA® launched in Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, and the innovative nematicide NIMITZ®, launched in Chile, Central America and the Caribbean.
In US dollar terms, sales in Latin America increased by 14.7% in the quarter and by 16.8% in the half-year period compared with the corresponding periods last year, with the depreciation of local currencies against the US dollar somewhat moderating the strong growth in constant currency terms.
Asia-Pacific: Sales were lower by 5.7% in the quarter yet grew by 6.2% in the half-year period in constant currency terms, compared with the corresponding periods last year. The decline in the quarter was primarily due to the severe drought conditions in Australia and Indonesia, which was partially offset by the strong growth in China and other countries, as well as price increases across the region.
In China, sales of branded and formulated products are growing strongly, as ADAMA continues to expand its product portfolio and geographic reach, with launches of new products including LIANGKUAI®, a fungicide for fruit and vegetables, rice fungicide NONGFUAN®, rice herbicides LIFAN® and DINGXING®, and citrus insecticides FEISAIDI® and HONGJING®.
Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines delivered strong sales growth, supported by favorable weather conditions. In spite of the drought in Australia, the Combined Company succeeded in growing its share in the country.
ADAMA registered a number of new and differentiated products, including SORCERER®, an insecticide for fruit and vegetables, ALPHASCUD®, an insecticide in field crops, pastures and fruit and vegetables, BOBCAT i-MAXX®, a herbicide for a wide range of grasses and broadleaf weeds in sugarcane, all in Australia, as well as SEBI-O®, a fungicide for fruit and vegetables in Thailand, and BELVEDERE FORTE® a herbicide for fodder beet in New Zealand.
In US dollar terms, sales were lower by 1.8% in the quarter yet increased by 11.6% in the half-year compared to the corresponding periods last year, reflecting the positive impact of the appreciation of local currencies, primarily the Australian Dollar in the half-year, against the US dollar.
India, Middle East & Africa: Sales grew by 20.8% in the quarter and by 19.4% in the half-year period in constant currency terms, compared with the corresponding periods last year, driven by significant volume growth as well as substantial price increases, as a result of strong demand for the Combined Company’s portfolio and generally favorable weather conditions.
An outstanding performance in India was driven by significant growth of a differentiated portfolio, while benefiting from a good monsoon season. ADAMA has established leading positions in key backward-integrated products such as ACEMAIN®, as well as TAPUZ®, a new mixture for insect control benefiting from end-to-end process integration on both its constituent active ingredients. BARAZIDE®, a tailor-made mixture insecticide developed specifically for the Indian market, was registered and is being launched.
ADAMA continues to grow strongly in Turkey, supported by increased brand awareness and strong positioning of its sugar beet portfolio. Strong portfolio demand facilitated higher prices, compensating for the depreciation of the local currency over the period.
Sales in Israel increased driven in part by the strong performance of the recently launched innovative nematicide NIMITZ®.
In US dollar terms, sales increased by 17.7% in the quarter and 19.4% in the half-year period, compared to the corresponding periods last year, with the depreciation of local currencies, most notably the Indian Rupee and Turkish Lira, against the US dollar somewhat moderating the strong growth in constant currency terms.
Source: ADAMA
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