Mironivsky Hliboproduct (MHP) reported a nine percent increase in its poultry sales volume for the first three months of 2018, largely boosted by an increase in exports.
The Ukrainian company reported a poultry sales volume of 135,307 metric tons for the first quarter of 2018, up 9 percent from the 123,931 metric tons sold during the first three months of 2017. The company further revealed that its domestic sales were down 4 percent to 72,163 metric tons, but its exports were up 28 percent to 63,144 metric tons. Exports accounted for about 47 percent of MHP’s sales volume for the first three months of 2018.
Those figures were released in a pre-close trading update, issued on April 18.
Examining export potential
The increase in exports were achieved as the company continues to implement a strategy of targeting products to specific markets and export sales diversification. MHP poultry products were exported to 53 countries during the three-month period.
MHP’s Dutch and Slovenian processing plants and sales/distribution office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been performing in accordance with expectations and business plans, the company stated in a press release.
MHP further reported that it has been developing its exports in the European Union, as well as in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Poultry prices increase
MHP not only saw the benefits of increased poultry sales volume, but from increased prices as well.
The average chicken meat price through the first quarter of 2018 was VAT38.78 (US$27.32) per kilogram, a 23 percent increase from the first quarter 2017 price of VAT31.52 (US$27.06 at the exchange rates at that time) per kilogram.
While the chicken meat prices increased on a year-over-year basis, MHP reported that the prices for the first quarter of 2017 were actually down about 5 percent from the average price for the fourth quarter of 2017.
