Other information

2.5.1 Result appropriation scheme under the articles of association

2.5.1.1

Articles 36, 37 and 38 of the articles of association of the company read as follows:

Payments - General

Article 36

36.1 Payments may be made only to the extent that the Company's equity capital exceeds the amount of the paid up and called up part of its capital, plus the reserves that have to be maintained by virtue of the law.

36.2 The Executive Board may decide to make an interim payment, if the requirement of Article 36.1 has been satisfied, as evidenced by an interim statement of assets and liabilities, drawn up in accordance with article 105 (4) of Book 2 DCC, and if the payment in question concerns an interim payment of profits, with due observance of the sequence set out in Article 38.1.

36.3 There is no entitlement to payments in relation to preference shares or the priority share, other than as set out in the Articles 12.2, 38.1 and 39.3.

36.4 Payments are made in proportion to the aggregate nominal amount of the shares of the class in question. Notwithstanding the previous full sentence, payments on preference shares (or payments to the former holders of preference shares) are made in proportion to the amounts paid up, or paid up earlier, on those preference shares.

36.5 Those entitled to payments are the relevant shareholders, holders of a right of usufruct and holders of a right of pledge, depending on the circumstances of the case, on a date determined for that purpose by the Executive Board. This date shall not precede the date on which the payment is announced.

36.6 The General Meeting may resolve, with due observance of Article 32, that a payment will fully or partly be made in the form of shares in the Company's capital or in kind, instead of in cash.

36.7 Payments will be made available on a date to be determined by the Executive Board and, if a payment in cash is concerned, in a currency to be determined by the Executive Board.

36.8 A claim for payment shall lapse upon expiry of a period of five years after the payment became available.

36.9 When calculating the amount or the distribution of a payment, the shares held by the Company in its own capital are not considered. No payment is made to the Company on shares held by it in its own capital.

Payments - Reserves

Article 37

37.1 All reserves maintained by the Company are attached to the ordinary shares only, unless expressly provided otherwise in this Article 37.

37.2 The General Meeting is authorized to resolve to make a payment at the expense of the Company's reserves, with due observance of Article 32.

37.3 Without prejudice to the provisions of Articles 37.4 and 38.2, payments at the expense of a reserve shall be made on those shares only to which such reserve is attached.

37.4 The Executive Board may resolve to charge amounts to be paid up on shares to the Company's reserves, regardless as to whether those shares are issued to existing shareholders.

Payments - Profit

Article 38

38.1 With due observance of Article 36.1, any profits appearing from the Company's annual accounts regarding a specific financial year shall be distributed in the sequence set forth below:

  1. to the extent that preference shares were withdrawn without the payment specified in Article 12.2 (b) having been made in full and without such a deficit subsequently having been paid in full as set forth in this Article 38.1 or Article 38.2, an amount equal to such a deficit, or remaining deficit, will be paid out to the one or the ones who was or were holding preference shares the moment the withdrawal took effect;
  2. to the extent that any Preference Payment (or any part thereof) on previous financial years has not yet been effected in full as set forth in this Article 38.1 or Article 38.2, an amount equal to such a deficit, or remaining deficit, will be paid out on the preference shares;
  3. the Preference Payment on the financial year to which the annual accounts relate will be paid out on the preference shares;
  4. the Executive Board determines which part of the remaining profits will be added to the Company's reserves;
  5. from what is left of the profits remaining thereafter an amount equal to the nominal amount of the priority share will be paid out on the priority share; and
  6. with due observance of Article 32, the profits remaining thereafter shall be at the disposal of the General Meeting in order to be paid out on the ordinary shares,

38.2 To the extent that the payments set forth in Article 38.1 (a) up to and including (c) (or any part of these) cannot be made from the profits appearing from the annual accounts, a deficit of that kind will be paid out at the expense of the Company's reserves, with due observance of the Articles 36.1 and 36.2.

38.3 Payments of profits are made, with due observance of Article 36.1, after the adoption of the annual accounts showing that such is permitted.

 

2.5.2 Special provision in the articles of association regarding governance

2.5.2.1

Trust Office Foundation

The management of the ForFarmers Trust Office Foundation operates independently of the Company. The ForFarmers Trust Office Foundation holds ordinary capital shares in the Company and is intended, inter alia, for (i) the acquisition of ordinary shares for management purposes (ii) the issue of depositary receipts, (iii) where applicable, the acquisition, disposal and encumbrance of shares for its own account, (iv) the exercise of rights associated with the ordinary shares it holds and (v) the granting of proxies for the exercise of voting rights as well as the acceptance of voting instructions as regards the exercise of the voting right, all in accordance with the Trust terms & conditions. The Articles of Association, Trust terms & conditions and the Report of the ForFarmers Trust Office Foundation (in Dutch: “Stichting Beheer- en Administratiekantoor ForFarmers”) are on the Company’s website. As aforementioned, only Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A. may issue binding voting instructions for the shares held by the aforementioned foundation (and for which voting rights have not been requested).

The Trust Office Foundation shall only accept ordinary shares for management purposes against issue of depositary receipts to (i) a holder of depositary receipts within the context of exercising a share claim, (ii) someone entitled to the balance of a participation account held with Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A. within the context of a conversion, (iii) an employee as part of an participation plan, (iv) Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A. or (v) a party designated by the aforementioned Cooperative.

Priority shareholder

The priority share is held by Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A. Given that Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A., on the latest reference date of 1 January 2017, could exercise the voting right for more than fifty per cent (50%) of votes to be cast on the total of ordinary shares on the shares it holds and/or could give voting instructions with regard to the shares held by the Trust Office Foundation, Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A. as priority share holder:

 

(i) has a recommendation right for four of the six members of the Supervisory Board;
(ii) may appoint a member of the Supervisory Board as Chairman after consultation with the Supervisory Board;
(iii) has an approval right as regards the decisions of the Executive Board regarding:
  1. moving the Company’s head office outside the east of the Netherlands (Gelderland and Overijssel);
  2. an important change in the identity of nature of the Company or its enterprise as a result of (1) transfer of the enterprise or practically all of the enterprise to a third party or (2) entering into or breaking off a long-term partnership of the Company or a subsidiary thereof with another legal entity or company, or as fully liable partner in a limited partnership or general partnership, if such partnership or its termination represents a fundamental change to the Company;
  3. taking or disposing of a participating interest in the capital of a company to a value of at least a third of the amount of the Company’s equity according to the balance sheet with explanatory notes or, in the event the Company draws up consolidated balance sheets, according to the consolidated balance sheet with explanatory notes, according to the most recently adopted annual accounts of the Company, or any of its subsidiaries;
  4. changes to the Company’s articles of association;
  5. affecting a merger or division.

Please refer to the Corporate Governance Statement for the conditions for holding the priority share and the special control rights associated thereto if that voting right and/or voting instruction can be exercised or given for 50% or less.

Protective measures

The Company has entered into a call-option agreement with regard to preferential shares with Stichting Continuïteit ForFarmers (ForFarmers Continuity Foundation). This Continuity Foundation was established to safeguard the identity, strategy, independence and continuity of the enterprise affiliated with the Company. Stichting Continuïteit ForFarmers is fully independent and has independent management.

Furthermore, Coöperatie FromFarmers U.A. holds a priority share to which rights are associated as provided for in the Company’s Articles of Association.

 
 
 

2.5.3 Branch offices

The Company itself does not have branches outside the Netherlands. For the list of main subsidiaries (including foreign subsidiaries) of the Company, a reference is made to Note 32 of the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

2.5.4 Events after the reporting period

No events have occurred.

2.5.5 Independent auditor's report

The auditor’s report with respect to the consolidated financial statements and the company financial statements is set out on the next pages.

2.5.6 Overview financial history

Consolidated statement of financial position
  IFRS IFRS IFRS Dutch GAAP Dutch GAAP Dutch GAAP
In thousands of euro 2016 2015 2014 2014 2013 2012
Intangible assets and goodwill 102,181 89,202 77,348 74,455 54,312 50,047
Property, plant and equipment 194,749 197,731 190,274 205,882 202,391 200,043
Financial fixed assets 36,665 36,203 34,727 21,365 21,184 32,572
Non-current assets 333,595 323,136 302,349 301,702 277,887 282,662
 
Inventories 75,141 89,771 83,866 88,484 99,977 111,436
Trade and other receivables 214,679 236,041 234,626 236,907 249,808 341,641
Cash and cash equivalents 152,854 133,065 77,729 80,925 146,840 80,916
Current assets 442,674 458,877 396,221 406,316 496,625 533,993
 
Total assets 776,269 782,013 698,570 708,018 774,512 816,655
 
Equity 424,110 402,511 363,879 360,593 338,367 322,904
Non-controlling interests 4,880 4,643 4,363 4,363 4,328 4,199
Total equity 428,990 407,154 368,242 364,956 342,695 327,103
 
Provisions 78,498 82,939 88,751 93,413 85,603 97,518
 
Non-current liabilities 53,312 52,967 49,749 54,136 129,251 156,268
 
Current liabilities 215,469 238,953 191,828 195,513 216,963 235,766
 
Total liabilities 776,269 782,013 698,570 708,018 774,512 816,655
 
Capital employed 432,837 470,162 420,258 417,396 493,956 508,971
 
Net debt -61,541 -33,335 -25,714 -24,122 8,749 105,151
 
Solvency ratio 55.3% 52.1% 52.7% 51.5% 44.2% 40.1%
 

Consolidated statement of profit or loss
  IFRS IFRS   IFRS   Dutch GAAP   Dutch GAAP   Dutch GAAP Proforma  
In thousands of euro 2016 2015   2014   2014   2013   2012  
Revenue 2,108,962 2,244,470   2,221,281   2,292,014   2,472,172   2,497,914  
Cost of raw materials and consumables -1,701,590 -1,820,266   -1,827,551   -1,883,928   -2,081,803   -2,097,021  
Gross profit 407,372 424,204   393,730   408,086   390,369   400,893  
Other operating income 3,949 3,380   6,522   6,619   4,581   8,330  
Employee benefit expenses -150,542 -148,479   -129,001   -138,537   -124,466   -129,437  
Depreciation and amortisation -26,044 -26,038   -23,788   -28,958   -25,866   -23,180  
Other operating expenses -166,902 -189,017   -184,899   -188,109   -201,189   -198,357  
Operating profit 67,833 64,050   62,564   59,101   43,429   58,249  
Finance income 1,664 2,864   3,074   2,435   2,627   3,102  
Finance costs -5,192 -5,426   -7,684   -8,110   -4,907   -7,133  
Net finance costs -3,528 -2,562   -4,610   -5,675   -2,280   -4,031  
Share of profit of equity-accounted investees, net of tax 3,816 4,681   4,664   -   1,795   852  
Profit before tax 68,121 66,169   62,618   53,426   42,944   55,070  
Income tax expense -14,344 -14,879   -13,590   -13,584   -11,333   -14,626  
Profit for the year 53,777 51,290   49,028   39,842   31,611   40,444  
Non-controlling interests -517 -583   -888   -888   -489   -1,258  
Profit attributable to owners of the Company 53,260 50,707   48,140   38,954   31,122   39,186  
 
Compoud feed (x million tonnes) 6.37 6.36 (1) 6.36 (1) 6.49 (2) 6.35 (2) 6.25 (2)
Single feed (x million tonnes) 0.61 0.51   0.49   0.49   0.38   0.67  
Roughages and DML (x million tonnes) 2.17 2.08   1.83   1.83   1.66   1.71  
Other (x million tonnes) 0.11 0.09   0.08   0.08   0.08   0.07  
Volume Total Feed (x million tonnes) 9.26 9.04   8.76   8.89   8.47   8.70  
 
Number of employees at year-end (in fte's) 2,273 2,370   2,286   2,343   2,214   2,194  
 
Operating restult before depreciation (EBITDA) 93,877 90,088   86,352   88,059   69,295   81,429  
Operating restult before depreciation (EBITDA) as % of revenue 4.5% 4.0%   3.9%   3.8%   2.8%   3.3%  
Operating restult before depreciation (EBITDA) as % of gross profit 23.0% 21.2%   21.9%   21.6%   17.8%   20.3%  
 
Operating result (EBIT) 67,833 64,050   62,564   59,101   43,429   58,249  
Operating result (EBIT) as % of revenue 3.2% 2.9%   2.8%   2.6%   1.8%   2.3%  
 
Dividend (€ million) 25.7 24.7   18.7   18.7   14.4   12.1  
 
Dividend per share (€) 0.242 0.233   0.176   0.176   0.136   0.115  
(1) Adjusted downwards by 58k tonnes, because volume of warehousing activities were included.
(2) 2014 and before: including Dutch warehousing activities

 

2.5.7