Ingham's Group expects New Zealand's oversupply of chicken to continue this year, keeping prices cheap and crimping the trans-Tasman poultry producer's local earnings.
The Sydney-based company's Kiwi division accounts for about 15 per cent of the ASX-listed firm's revenue, and like its rival, Tegel Group Holdings, had to contend with low domestic prices with chicken supply outstripping demand. Ingham's New Zealand earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell 5.8 per cent to A$17.7 million on largely flat revenue of A$185.8m in the six months ended December 24. Local poultry volumes fell 0.6 per cent to 36,300 tonnes and feed volumes sank 11 per cent to 69,100 tonnes.
"New Zealand volumes were flat in a challenging market, driven by reduced industry export volumes translating to domestic oversupply," Ingham's said in a statement. "New Zealand trading conditions are likely to continue in the second half."
That echoes Tegel's complaints in December when the NZX-listed firm posted a 4 per cent decline in first-half earnings, while also warning that imbalance was likely to continue throughout the latter half of the year. Government data yesterday showed consumer poultry prices were 7.2 per cent lower in January than the same month a year earlier.
Ingham's listed on the ASX in November in an A$1.2 billion initial public offering, selling shares at A$3.15 apiece, below an earlier target range of A$3.57 to A$4.14 per share. The shares last traded at A$3.39, while Tegel's were down 3 per cent to $1.29 on the NZX.
