8 Mar 2023 07:00
8 March 2023
Camellia Plc
(the "Company" or the "Group")
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Trading update
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Further to the trading announcement on 7 December there has been a significant improvement to our expectations for underlying profit before tax for the Group for 2022.
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Negotiations on pay in Bangladesh have now concluded resulting in a government mandated payment of Tk11,000 per permanent worker (payable during 2023) and a pay increase of 41.7% effective from the beginning of August 2022. This is a significantly improved outcome than anticipated and will be reflected in our 2022 results.
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In addition, trading in our agriculture division in the final quarter of the year has been ahead of our expectations due to:
路 Higher net sales prices achieved for India, Bangladesh and Kenya teas
路 Better net sales prices for avocados
路 Improved net sales prices achieved for both soya and maize
路 Tighter control of production and overhead costs across the division
路 Offset in part by lower net sales prices for macadamia and Malawi teas
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We also further reduced our head office overhead costs.
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Revenue for continuing operations* for 2022 is now expected to be approximately 拢294 million. As a consequence of the factors set out above, excluding any financial results for BF&M for 2022, the Company now believes that the adjusted profit before tax for continuing operations** for the Group for 2022 will be approximately 10% below the reported adjusted profit before tax for continuing operations (including BF&M share of results for that year) for 2021 which was 拢8.8 million. This compares very favourably to the Company's previous guidance given on 7 December 2022.
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BF&M is expected to announce its results in April 2023 and until that time, as a consequence of the impact of the volatility of equity and bond markets on BF&M's results, it is not possible for Camellia to forecast the likely full year outcome for BF&M with any certainty.
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* continuing operations are all operations except for ACS&T which was sold at the end of 2022
** adjusted profit before tax for continuing operations seeks to present an indication of performance for continuing operations which is not impacted by exceptional items or items considered non-operational in nature and for example it excludes impairment charges, gains/losses on disposal of assets and restructuring costs.
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This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of the UK Market Abuse Regulation.
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Enquiries
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Camellia Plc 01622 746655
Malcolm Perkins, Chairman
Susan Walker, Chief Financial Officer
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Panmure Gordon 020 7886 2500
Nominated Adviser and Broker
Emma Earl
Rupert Dearden
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Maitland/AMO
PR
William Clutterbuck 07785 292617
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