São Paulo – Kepler Weber, the maker of silos and equipment for grain storage, is going to work on expanding exports until they answer to 30% of revenues, in 2015. The Middle East and Africa will be fundamental in this strategy, said the president of Kepler Weber, Anastácio Fernandes Filho, to ANBA on Thursday (14), after disclosing the company’s results. The organisation recorded the greatest profit in its history in 2012. Shipments abroad answered to 23% of revenues last year and generated R$ 95.5 million.
"Currently, exports answer to an average of 20% of our revenues and we want to grow. We have grown mainly in the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe,” said Fernandes. He also stated that the company already has great participation in Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile, and believes that it may make use of opportunities in Egypt, the Ukraine and in the African nations. Some of the Arab countries to which the company has already exported are Egypt, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan. “The countries of the Middle East and Africa are going to contribute much to our plan (for greater export revenues),” he said.
In its balance sheet, the company shows that shipments abroad were boosted by appreciation of the dollar as against the real” despite the moroseness observed throughout the foreign markets in which Kepler Weber operates,” said the company.
Kepler Weber reported R$ 31.2 million (US$ 15.6 million) net profit last year, growth of 10.7% over 2011. The profit was obtained with growth of 0.5% in revenues, which reached R$ 424.4 million (US$ 212.2 million). The company forecasts that in 2013 the international economy should recover and Brazilian producers should invest more due to the forecasted greater crop than last year’s.
Of the company’s entire revenues in 2012, 67% were obtained in the grain storage sector, 5% in special storage (in ports and in the grain processing industry, among others), 23% in exports and 5% in the service sector. In comparison with 2011, the storage sector dropped 1% in company revenue generation, industrial storage dropped 11%, parts and services grew 30.3% and exports recorded growth of 3.4%.
Forecast for 2013
On the domestic market, there is still forecasted growth of the Brazilian grain crop, which should generate demand for company products. According to the National Food Supply Company (Conab), the grain crop in 2011/2012 was 166.2 million tonnes. The Conab’s 5th crop study forecasts that in the 2012/2013 period, it should reach 185 million tonnes of grain, or 11.3% less than in 2011. Kepler Weber projections are for there to be a storage reduction of 40 million tonnes, which opens opportunities for the company.
Fernandes said that apart from demand, federal government policies for agribusiness may generate good results in 2013. “The government disclosed financing conditions and interest rates for investment in the sector throughout the year, granting security to farmers. This, they may invest to store the crop and wait for the best moment to export,” he said.
*Translated by Mark Ament
