TIDMNBPO
RNS Number : 6344B
New Britain Palm Oil Limited
30 October 2009
?
30 October 2009
NEW BRITAIN PALM OIL LIMITED
("NBPOL" or the "Company")
SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH UNITED BISCUITS TO SUPPLY
CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL
New Britain Palm Oil Limited (LSE: NBPO), a large scale integrated industrial
producer of palm oil, is pleased to announce today that it has entered into a
minimum two year supply agreement to provide United Biscuits ("UB"), a leading
branded snacks business, with significant quantities of segregated, traceable
and certified sustainable palm oil of the highest quality.
This is the first supply agreement signed for NBPOL's UK refinery in Liverpool
that is due to be completed in spring 2010. The refinery will have a dedicated
supply source from NBPOL's certified sustainable plantations and so the palm oil
will be fully segregated and traceable from seed to finished product.
UB is a leading branded snacks business, producing some of the best known and
loved sweet and savoury snacks. Their brands include as McVitie's, Jacob's,
Carr's, McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, Penguin, KP, Mini Cheddars, go ahead!, Verkade,
Sultana, BN and Delacre. The range of products covers biscuits, crackers,
savoury snacks, nuts and cake products.
NBPOL's operations in West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea are certified
as conforming to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil's (RSPO) Principles and
Criteria on sustainability.
UB, like NBPOL, has a high regard for environmental sustainability and both
companies continue to improve their performance. NBPOL also has an international
reputation for leading the plantation industry in all aspects of plantation
management.
Alan Chaytor, Executive Director of NBPOL, said:
"New Britain Palm Oil is delighted to have concluded this long term supply
agreement to supply segregated, traceable and certified sustainable palm oil to
United Biscuits. The agreement represents a significant part of our capacity
from our UK palm oil refinery.
This agreement demonstrates that companies who are genuinely serious about
buying sustainable palm oil can now do so from New Britain. Having such iconic
British brands as UB's made with NBPOL's palm oil is recognition not only of
their commitment to using segregated, traceable and certified sustainable palm
but also of NBPOL as a credible, trusted supplier.
Our investment in our UK palm oil refinery is all about giving consumers the
assurance that the products that they want to buy can now actually be made from
affordable, segregated, traceable and certified sustainable palm oil, which
NBPOL believes is often a better alternative to certificate trading schemes,
such as GreenPalm.
We expect to sign further supply agreements in due course."
Dr Simon Roulston, Oils Sourcing Manager for United Biscuits, commented:
"UB has a clear goal to only use segregated, sustainable palm oil so that we can
be sure that the palm oil in our products is the oil from the sustainable
plantations. To this end we will have by mid 2010, two thirds of all palm oil
and palm oil based ingredients sourced from segregated and sustainable sources
with the remainder from un-segregated but still sustainable sources. By the end
of 2011 we aim to have 100% of our palm oil sourced on a segregated and
sustainable basis.
This supply agreement with New Britain, which covers the majority of our oil, is
a major step forward in achieving that goal. Until segregated sources are
available for all palm oil based ingredients we will use certified oil to ensure
that our products are produced sustainably.
In parallel we have also been working to reduce the amount of palm oil that we
use and since 2005 we have achieved a 40% reduction in palm oil.
As a member of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, we have been working
hard to ensure that we play our part in protecting the environment while
continuing to provide consumers with the high quality products that they expect.
UB is one of the first food manufacturers to secure a supply of sustainable palm
oil that is segregated throughout the supply chain to ensure that the oil used
in its products is the oil from the sustainable plantations. The first delivery
of this oil is due in December 2009 and by mid 2010 any UB branded biscuits
containing palm oil will be made with sustainable palm oil.
UB is delighted to be working with NBPOL who are pioneers in the production of
sustainable palm oil."
Enquiries:
+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Kreab Gavin Anderson | Tel: +44(0)20 7074 1800 / |
| James Benjamin | +44(0)7747 113 930 |
| Anthony Hughes | Email: nbpol@kreabgavinanderson.com |
| | |
+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| New Britain Palm Oil | Tel: +44(0)20 7074 1800 / |
| Limited | +44(0)7747 113 930 |
| Nick Thompson | |
| Alan Chaytor | |
| | |
+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| United Biscuits | Tel:+44(0) 20 8234 5104 |
| Bob Brightwell | Email: BrightwR@unitedbiscuits.com |
| | |
+------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
Website: http://www.nbpol.com.pg
Website: http://www.unitedbiscuits.com
Notes to editors
New Britain Palm Oil Limited is a large scale integrated industrial producer of
sustainable palm oil in Australasia and is headquartered in Papua New Guinea
('PNG'). It has over 44,500 hectares of planted palm oil plantations and long
term leases over 30,000 hectares of additional land, some of which will be
converted to palm oil, six oil mills, a refinery and a seed production and plant
breeding facility. The Company is quoted on both the Main Market of the London
Stock Exchange and on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange in PNG.
NBPOL is fully vertically integrated, producing its own seed (which it also
sells globally) and planting, cultivating and harvesting its own land and
processing and refining palm oil. It also contracts directly with its end
customers in the EU and arranges shipping of its products.
NBPOL has high regard for the importance of its sustainability credentials and
is active in proving its performance.
United Biscuits is a leading branded snacks business, producing some of the best
known and loved sweet and savoury snacks. Our classic brands have been
delighting consumers for generations and include such favourites as McVitie's,
Jacob's, Carr's, McCoy's, Hula Hoops, McVitie's Jaffa Cakes, Penguin, KP, Mini
Cheddars, go ahead!, Verkade, Sultana, BN and Delacre. The range of products
covers biscuits, crackers, savoury snacks, nuts and cake products.
We are the leading overall snack manufacturer in the United Kingdom and hold
leading segment positions in our other core markets of The Netherlands, France
and Belgium. We have a long heritage, stretching back nearly 200 years. The
quality and uniqueness of our products and brands means they also have global
appeal. Strong growth is continuing in our international business which serves
consumers from North America to the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia.
* UB products are bought by 96% of UK households every year
* Production is managed out of 15 factories located in the UK, France, Belgium and
The Netherlands, including Europe's two largest biscuit factories
* UB has 8,500 employees
We aim to drive sustainable growth in all that we do, focusing on the financial,
environmental and community aspects of the business.
New Britain Palm Oil Limited, United Biscuits and Pacific Rim Plantation
Services Pte Ltd are members of the RSPO.
Website: http://www.rspo.org/
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
MSCPUGWWUUPBGMB
|