CPP Acquires CP Vietnam Livestock

CP Pokphand Co. Ltd (CPP), China's leading provider of animal nutrition solutions in the food industry, has announced an agreement to acquire from a wholly-owned subsidiary of Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited (CPG), its majority shareholder, a 70.82 per cent interest in CP Vietnam Livestock Corporation (CPVL), a leading integrated livestock and aquaculture company in Viet Nam, for a total consideration of HK$4,735 million (approximately US$609 million), representing a multiple of 12.5 times CPVL's 2010 audited net profit attributable to the Group after adjusting for the technical assistance service fee that would have been paid by CPVL if the current arrangements had been in place and the Company had completed the acquisition in 2010.

As one of the largest corporate acquisitions in Viet Nam, the deal represents a unique opportunity for CPP to acquire a controlling stake in a market leader and expand into one of the fastest growing feed and farming markets in Southeast Asia. The acquisition not only enables the Group to broaden and diversify its business base, but also is expected to be accretive to CPP’s earnings per share immediately.

According to the terms of the agreement, the consideration will be satisfied by the issuance of new convertible preference shares and new ordinary shares to a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPG. The acquisition is subject to the approval of independent shareholders at a special general meeting, and completion of which is expected to take place before the end of 2011.

Established in Viet Nam in 1993, CPVL's integrated livestock and aquaculture businesses span the entire food production value chain, from the manufacturing and distribution of animal feed, to breeding and farming of livestock and aquatic animals, as well as processing and production of meat and food products. CPVL commands a leading position with approximately 20 per cent of commercial feed market, 77 per cent of industrial swine farming markets and 30 per cent of broiler farming markets in Viet Nam. For the year ended 2010, CPVL recorded an audited total revenue and net profit of VND20,077,880 million (approximately US$1,046.5 million) and VND964,584 million (approximately US$50.3 million), respectively.

Viet Nam's strong demand for meat and seafood products is driven by its young and expanding population, with a median age of 28. The country is also a major exporter of seafood in Asia. Capitalising on this favorable environment, Viet Nam's commercial feed market has been growing strongly, enjoying a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 16 per cent between 2005 and 2009, and strong growth is expected to continue in the coming years.

Industrial farming is also growing faster, driven by a structural shift to large scale production through scientific farming. Industrial production of poultry and swine in Viet Nam registered a robust CAGR of approximately 2 per cent and 24 per cent, respectively, between 2005 and 2009.

Meanwhile, CPVL's feed production, poultry and swine farming businesses achieved revenue CAGRs of 28 per cent, 34 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively between 2005 and 2009, consistently out-performing the market.

CPVL currently has four livestock feed mills with a total capacity of approximately 2.26 million tons per year and three aquatic feed mills with a combined capacity of approximately 0.61 million tons per year. The Group expects the acquisition of CPVL's feed operations in Viet Nam to be synergistic with the Group's existing 78 feed mills in China by enhancement in its economies of scale in raw material procurement.

Dhanin Chearavanont, Chairman and Executive Director of CPP said: "This strategic acquisition will immediately position CPP as the leader in the commercial feed and industrial farming market of Viet Nam. We expect the fast growing business in Viet Nam to become a key growth driver and to contribute to a broader and more diversified income base for the Group going forward. We are confident that this, together with our leading business presence in China, will move CPP closer to our goal of becoming a significant player in Asia's promising agri-food market."