São Paulo – Brazilian food manufacturing company Sadia posted revenues of 2.9 billion reals (US$ 1.3 billion) in the first quarter of 2009, ended the period as the 5th largest exporting company in Brazil, and earned the 5th place in the ranking of the world’s 200 companies with the best reputation, according to the Global Pulse survey, conducted by the New York-based Reputation Institute.
The company’s gross revenues recorded growth of 10.6% over the first three months of last year. Net revenues, in turn, totalled to 2.5 billion reals (US$ 1.2 billion), growth of 8.1% over the same period of 2008. According to information supplied by the Sadia press office, the results are a consequence of the company’s continual effort to attain sustainable growth, in months strongly impacted by the reduction of global demand for meats.
According to the release, the company’s operational results remained solid during the entire year. Overall sales volume decreased by 0.5%, having totalled 530,000 tonnes, due to the retraction of foreign demand.
Sales by Sadia in Brazil grew 10.3% and totalled 281,590 tonnes. Domestic revenues totalled to 1.7 billion reals (US$ 812 million), representing growth of 22.7% over the first quarter of 2008. With regard to the foreign market, sales dropped by 10.5%, totalling 248,710 tonnes in terms of volume and 1.2 billion reals (US$ 573 million) in terms of revenues, a reduction of 3.3%. The decrease, according to the press office’s release, is due to the need for adjusting the inventories and the credit crunch in foreign countries.
With the slowdown in international demand, the segment of industrialised foods decreased by 17.1% volume-wise, having totalled 24,000 tonnes. Revenues, in turn, posted growth of 2.3% (US$ 65 million) in comparison with the first quarter of the previous year. Poultry exports also dropped, by 9.3%, having totalled 195,980 tonnes. Nevertheless, the segment led foreign sales and answered to 69.1% of revenues from foreign sales, having totalled to 801.6 million reals (US$ 383 million), a reduction of 9%.
The company’s segment that was most harmed by the crisis was bovine meat. Shipped volume totalled to 5,510 tonnes, a reduction of 43% over the first quarter of last year. Revenues, in turn, totalled to 39.4 million reals (US$ 18.8 million), reduction of 36.2%.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
