AGM Statement

Greencore Group PLC 05 February 2004 GREENCORE GROUP PLC CONTACT: Patrick Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer - Tel: +353 1 605 1003 (Up to 2.00pm on 5 February, 2004 - Tel: +353 87 225 3480) ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING CHAIRMAN'S SUPPLEMENTARY STATEMENT At the Annual General Meeting of Greencore Group plc to be held today, the Chairman, Ned Sullivan, will make the following statement: I am pleased to report that 2003 was a very successful year for Greencore. Profit before tax increased by 7%, underlying headline earnings per share rose by 19%, whilst net debt was reduced by €133m. Since 2001, the Group has been actively engaged in ensuring that maximum value is realised from the Hazlewood acquisition. The results in 2003 reflect the achievements of the Group in this regard and highlight the future potential of its well-balanced portfolio of businesses. Greencore is now well positioned to reap the future benefits of its past actions. Turning to the current year, like-for-like sales in the Group's chilled food categories, its principal driver of growth, grew by 6.5% in the first quarter, as the demographic factors that have driven this market in the last decade continue. As referred to in the Preliminary Statement and the Annual Report, raw material price inflation for all U.K. food producers is running at a higher rate than has been experienced for a number of years. In our own case, the Group's UK convenience food businesses will spend some €350m in the current financial year on raw materials with inflation of in excess of 5%, on average, currently being experienced in those markets. Every convenience food business within the Group is actively offsetting these increases through product reformulation, efficiencies, supply chain improvements and, most particularly, price increases. We are confident that these initiatives will succeed and have already implemented or agreed price increases in several categories, the benefit of which will be more pronounced in the second half due to the inevitable lag in the recovery of cost inflation. The Group is in a strong position both commercially and financially. The board believes that further progress will be made in 2004, and is confident about the future prospects of the Group. E.F. Sullivan, Chairman. 5 February, 2004. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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