Danish ingredients company Danisco this week reported a five per cent increase in net sales in the company's main business areas - Ingredients, Sweeteners and Sugar. Net sales for the second quarter of 2001 grew to DKK 4.3 billion (€0.6bn), up 5 per cent on the second quarter of last year.
Earnings (EBITA) in the main business areas increased to DKK 601 million (€ 80.7m), up 12 per cent. The ingredients and sweeteners segment advanced 10 per cent on the same period of last year when sales to emerging markets increased.
The Sugar segment accounted for an improvement of 12 per cent on the same period of last year. Danisco claims that the progress in the Sugar segment was positively affected by the weakening of the Swedish krona against the euro.
Net sales in Europe, and in particular Easter Europe, were strong. In Europe they advanced 9 per cent in DKK terms and Eastern European market showed organic sales growth of 19 per cent compared to the same period of last year.
In North America sales improved 23 per cent in DKK terms. Not the same story in South America where the company witnessed a drop in net sales of 2 per cent.
Sales growth in Asia-Pacific continues, but the company reports that sales of fructose to the Japanese market have declined significantly. As such sales growth came to only 2 per cent in DKK terms in Q2 2001/02 compared to the same quarter of last year. The Chinese market sustained strong growth rates with sales advancing around 80 per cent in Q2 compared to the same quarter of last year.