Despite facing major challenges for its financial year ended 30 September 2017, South African integrated poultry company, Astral, was able to increase revenue 3% to R12,4 billion and increase operating profit 97% to R1,1 billion.<\/p>\n
This was despite facing record high feed prices, unabated imports of cheap chicken meat, the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), legislation requiring decreased brine content of frozen chicken portions, and subdued consumer spending, the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Speaking to\u00a0Farmer\u2019s Weekly<\/em>, Astral\u2019s CEO, Chris Schutte, said a number of opportunities also presented themselves during the year and the company had capitalised on these.<\/p>\n He explained that SA\u2019s record maize harvest saw broiler feed prices decline substantially in the second half of the year.<\/p>\n This had supported Astral\u2019s best-cost feed strategy that, while more expensive per ton in terms of nutritional value, had resulted in significantly improved feed conversion ratios in the company\u2019s broiler production.<\/p>\n These factors offset the increased per ton feed cost.<\/p>\n