The company has earned
a profit before extraordinary income and
tax of Rs 1076.47 lakh for the year ended
31.03.2002 as against Rs 1188.06 lakh
in the previous year.
Despite coffee prices
ruling at abysmally low levels the profit
before tax was lower by only Rs 111.56
lakh or 9.39 per cent as compared to the
previous year.
· This was achieved
primarily due to the company's instant
coffee operations which continued to perform
well and strong cost-reduction measures
implemented by the company.
Steps were also initiated
to improve efficiency levels specially
in the area of productivity in plantation
operations.
During the year, an
all-time record pepper crop aggregating
to 1196 tonnes was picked as against 929
tonnes in the previous year.
The company besides
being the largest integrated coffee company
in Asia, is the second largest exporter
of instant coffee from India.
The board has
recommended a dividend of 35 per cent
totalling Rs 436.40 lakh (previous year
40 per cent and Rs 498.75 lakh)
