Seeka, the largest kiwifruit grower in New Zealand and Australia, has confirmed its guidance for a 15 per cent drop in operating profit in 2017 as weaker-than-expected kiwifruit crops offset growth from its avocado sector.
The company warned 2017 operating profit may be up to 15 per cent lower than the record $7.8 million in 2016, with New Zealand Hayward kiwifruit volumes forecast to be between 20 and 25 per cent lower than the previous year. Today, it confirmed that guidance "albeit with the expectation that the earnings will be at the 15 per cent reduction end of the range" at $6.6m.
The New Zealand kiwifruit harvest is now complete, and Seeka has seen a 21 per cent drop in overall kiwifruit crops, though its Hayward harvest was lower than expected at 33 percent weaker than 2016. The SunGold harvest was 16 per cent stronger than 2016, while the Australian harvest grew 3.5 per cent overall, leading the company to expect Australian earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) above $3.5m in 2017, from $1m in 2016.
The 2016 year was a record for Seeka after exceptionally high kiwifruit yields. It lifted revenue 35 per cent to $191.3m in the year to December 31, 2016, with net profit at $10.4m, up 143 per cent on the year earlier, and operating profit at $7.8m once the cost of insurance settlements for grower fruit loss was included.
The company has more than doubled its trays of exported avocados in the current year, up to 487,000. Earnings per tray dropped to $24.85 from $26.86 in 2016, though Seeka said this was "an excellent result given the dramatic increase in volume" and was ahead of the $24.42 it forecast in February. The company generated $2m in earnings from avocados in 2017, it said.
