Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (Sadafco) has posted revenues of SR2.1 billion ($559 million) for the financial year (FY) 2020-21, a year-on-year (YoY) increase of 2.4%, while operating profit grew 3.3%, reaching SR285 million.

Net profit of SR261 million is healthy at 12.4% of sales, a decline of 1.6% YoY, due to exceptional Covid-19 and donation costs.

“In what was a challenging year, Sadafco increased sales and operating profit, while delivering a healthy net profit margin of 12.4%,” said Wout Matthijs, Chief Executive Officer. “Apart from our reported Net Profit, we absorbed SR24 million in one-off costs as we navigated the impact of the pandemic through enhanced safety implementations and safeguarding employee health.”

Matthijis added: “This robust performance shows our resilience and level of passion to deliver under the most challenging of circumstances.”

The increase in overall revenue was driven by double digit sales increases in Sadafco’s ice cream and tomato paste categories, while the sales of milk increased at single digit levels.

The company’s gross margin remained steady at 33%, while sales and distribution costs as a percentage of sales also remained stable.

General and administrative costs as a percentage of sales increased to 5.2% from 4.9%, attributable to a one-off donation of SR8.7 million in cash and kind.

Total shareholder equity increased 5.25%, to reach 1.53 billion. The board approved an increase in the interim dividend that was paid in January from SR2.5 per share to SR3.00 per share.

Despite the pandemic, construction works on Sadafco’s new ice cream production facility continued at pace throughout FY 2020-21. Production trials are due to begin in July and once the facility is fully operational, Sadafco will be well placed to strengthen and increase market share in a fast-growing market segment.

This year Sadafco has celebrated the graduation of trainees in its 4th cycle of the training program in partnership with the Higher Institute for Water and Power Technologies (HIWPT). Sadafco celebrated the accomplishment of the first production line fully operated by female employees in the ice cream factory in Jeddah.

Sadafco has achieved several milestones in sustainable operation through its “Towards Sustainability” initiative, launched in 2020with the implementation of GreenBox, Smart Electronic Fueling System and Solar Panels. As a result, for the period of Jan 2020 up to Oct 2020Jeddah Ice Cream Factory, Jeddah Factory and Dammam Factory collectively sent 2180 Tons of waste for recycling.

In addition, Jeddah Milk Factory’s water consumption was reduced from 1.55-litre per pack in 2017 to 1.38 litre per pack in 2020.The solar panel installation in the Riyadh regional distribution warehouse generated total energy of 316 MWh in 2020 which saved SR95K.

The successful partnership between Sadafco and Tera Pack resulted in a 20% reduction in operational wastage over a two-year period. – TradeArabia News Service