| €000 | 2009|10 | 2008|09 |
|---|---|---|
| Total revenue | 533,788 | 551,979 |
| Inter-segment revenue | (34,586) | (32,540) |
| Revenue | 499,202 | 519,439 |
| Operating profit before exceptional items | 41,055 | 27,523 |
| Operating margin | 8.2 % | 5.3 % |
| Operating profit after exceptional items | 41,055 | 25,246 |
| Purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangibles 1 | 10,836 | 23,798 |
| Purchases of non-current financial assets | 1 | 254 |
| Staff count | 880 | 853 |
1 Excluding goodwill.
In the 2009|10 financial year, revenue in the Starch segment declined by 3.9% from the previous year to € 499.2 million. Although sales volumes were pushed up significantly, revenue was set back by the lower sales prices resulting from the raw-material-driven adjustment of sales contracts with customers. Against the business-cycle-driven market trend, AGRANA was able to boost volumes of starch sales in the non-food sector. Quantities were also expanded in native starches and saccharification products. The operation of the bioethanol plants in Austria and Hungary at full capacity translated into increased bioethanol revenue. The trend in co-product (by-product) revenue was satisfactory. The share of the Starch segment in Group revenue reached 25.1%, compared to 25.6% in the prior year.
Operating profit before exceptional items, at € 41.1 million, was up substantially from the prior year’s € 27.5 million. The overall easing of prices in raw material markets, along with the accompanying lower energy costs, had a beneficial effect on production costs. The earnings situation in the bioethanol activities improved to a gratifying extent. The operating margin in the Starch segment reached 8.2% for the 2009|10 financial year, compared with € 5.3% in the prior year.