August 16, 2010

French Duc posts marginal fall in H1

French poultry group Duc posted a 6% fall in half-year sales on Friday (August 13) amid falling turkey volumes and the company's policy to reduce its frozen business.

Duc's revenue reached EUR89.3 million (US$114.4 million) for the six months to the end of June, down 6.1% on the year.

Second-quarter sales fell 5.5% to EUR45.4 million, although the result was an improvement on the first quarter, when sales dropped 7.7%. During the second quarter, chicken volumes climbed 3.3% but turkey volumes fell 9.5%.

Over the whole of 2010, Duc expects its chicken business to grow and its turkey operations to "stabilise" in the last quarter of the year.

Duc is known for production and sale of chicken and poultry products, including turkey products, kebabs and marinated poultry.

The group operates through several subsidiaries, including incubation specialists Charolles Accouvage and Drome Accouvage, reproductive husbandry division Scea de Varennes, and animal nutrition affiliate Nutri-Bourgogne.