Südzucker successfully closes fiscal 2017/18

According to the company, higher revenues from the sugar, special products and CropEnergies segments all contributed to the growth, while the fruit segment's revenues were about the same as last year. The consolidated group operating result came in at € 445 (previous year: 426) m, slightly higher than the published preliminary number. The year-over-year operating result increase was driven mainly by the sugar segment, but the fruit segment also contributed. As expected, the CropEnergies and special products segments’ results were lower than last year's high numbers.

Driven by higher sugar volumes – especially for export – the sugar segment’s revenues rose to € 3.017 (previous year: 2.776) bn. In the first half year, sugar sales revenues were higher than last year, but due to the strong decline in the second half, average annual sales revenues were lower than the year prior. Despite considerably lower sales revenues since October 2017, the segment’s operating result rose to € 139 (previous year: 72) m, driven by the increase in sugar sales revenues in the first half year right up to September 2017.

To date during the new sugar marketing year, which began in October 2017, sales revenues for both EU and export volumes have declined steadily, which is weighing more and more heavily on the result trend despite lower production costs.