Deyu Agriculture Corp. Announces Third Quarter 2012 Results and Schedules Results Conference Call and Webcast

BEIJING, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Deyu Agriculture Corp. (OTCBB: DEYU) (the "Company"), a Shanxi Province, China based vertically integrated producer, processor, marketer and distributor of organic and other agricultural products made from corn and grains, today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

Third Quarter (Q3) Highlights:

For Q3 of Fiscal 2012 as compared to the same period in 2011:

• sales in the Grain Division improved 45.2% to $17.42 million
• gross margin increased from 15.1% to 18.1%

For Q3 of Fiscal 2012 as compared to Q2 of Fiscal 2012:

• revenue increased 1.1% to $56.5 million
• net income rose 23.9% to $3.49 million
• earnings per diluted share increased 21.7% to $0.28

Summarized Q3 2012 Results as compared to Q3 2011 Results:

Financial Results for Q3 2012 as compared to Q2 2012:

"We are repositioning ourselves to be a more integrated agriculture company in China, not only as one of China's largest wholesalers of corn and grain products, but also as one of the country's leading brands of grain products for the consumer market," said Jianming Hao, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "In view of this goal, we are glad to see that our recent acquisition, the Taizihu Group, which has a diversified product line of 100 types of grain products, contributed $5.7 million in revenues this past quarter. To further penetrate the consumer market, we are also currently exploring strategies that tap into China's emerging commercial sales market for health foods."

"In Q3 of last year, we were able to achieve record levels in our revenue and net profit with $12.1 million of bank loans and $28.5 million of bank notes," Mr. Hao continued. "However, this year, our management team has taken a more sustainable approach to our operations by decreasing our overall borrowings from banks from an aggregate of $40.6 million as of Q3 2011 to about $11.2 million as of Q3 2012.  This primarily reflected a reduction in bank notes from $28.5 million as of Q3 2011 to $0 as of Q3 2012. We believe such approach significantly reduced our financial risks, especially considering the current global economy downturn. Even though our Q3 2012 results were impacted by a decrease in working capital supported by bank borrowings, we are confident that this strategic move can benefit the Company and our shareholders in the long run. Even with this shift in strategy, we were able to achieve growth in our revenue and net income from Q2 2012 to Q3 2012."

"This has been a transformative couple of months for our Company, as we recently elected a new President, Greg Chen, as well as increased our Board with the additions of Greg and Jan Poulsen," Mr. Hao added. "With Greg's experience in developing brands and companies in China, and Jan's twenty-plus years of experience in both asset management and business development within the food and beverage industries, we are confident that we can continue to build on our recent quarter over quarter progress."

Third Quarter 2012 Financial Results

Net revenue for Q3 2012 was $56.5 million compared with $84.4 million for Q3 2011, a decrease of $27.9 million, or 33.1%. Net revenue from the Company's Corn Division for Q3 2012 was approximately $34.9 million, a decrease of $27.3 million, or approximately 43.9%, as compared to Q3 2011, which was primarily due to the reduction of working capital for inventory procurement supported by bank loans and bank notes, which was reduced from an average balance of $38.1 million to $6.0 million for sustaining businesses. Net revenue from the Company's Grain Division for Q3 2012 was $17.4 million, an increase of $5.4 million, or 45.2%, as compared to Q3 2011. The increase was attributable to an increase of $5.7 million of sales revenue added by the Taizihu Group. Net Revenue from the Company's Bulk Trading Division for Q3 2012 was $4.2 million, a decrease of $6.0 million, or 59.1% as compared to Q3 2011. This decrease was mainly attributable to the strategic reduction of certain portions of the Company's bulk trade business by shifting more financial resources to the Company's Corn Division and Grain Division.

The Company's gross profit decreased by $2.5 million, or 19.8%, from $12.7 million for Q3 2011 to $10.2 million for Q3 2012. The decrease was a combined result of a decrease of $3.9 million in the Corn Division, an increase of $1.6 million in the Grain Division and a decrease of $0.2 million in the Bulk Trading Division. The Company's gross margin increased from 15.1% in Q3 2011 to 18.1% in Q3 2012. Gross margin for the Corn Division was 15.4% for Q3 2012, up by 54 basis points from 14.8% for Q3 2011, which was mainly attributable to the Company's gross margin management. Gross margin for the Grain Division was 26.4% for Q3 2012, an increase of 100 basis points from 25.4% for Q3 2011, which was mainly attributable to the additions of new product portfolios containing mixed gross margins, which targeted a wider scope of end consumers.

The Company's operating expenses increased $1.3 million or 28.5% to $6.1 million for Q3 2012 as compared to $4.8 million for Q3 2011. This increase was due to the increase of freight charges for product deliveries and advertisement expenses spent on brand promotion, expenses added by the Taizihu Group, increased depreciation and amortization caused by newly-acquired buildings as well as increased payroll and other expenses caused by inflation.

Net income available to common stockholders of $3.5 million for Q3 2012 compared to a net income of $7.6 million for Q3 2011, a decrease of $4.1 million, or 53.9%.

Recent Updates

In August 2012, the Company reached an agreement with Beijing Suning Appliance Co., Ltd. ("Suning") to supply Suning with refined packaged grain goods valued at RMB115.9 million (approximately $18.4 million). Suning is one of the largest electrical and electronic appliance retailers in China, with 1,700 chain stores of annual sales of $15 billion (RMB 93.9 billion) in 2011. With the demand from the commercial sales market for health foods growing in China, particularly for refined packaged products, the Company plans to continue developing more strategic institutional clients to further enter into the commercial sales segment.

Effective October 11, 2012, the Company's Board expanded the number of members serving on the Board from five to seven in accordance with the Company's Bylaws, and subsequently filled the vacancies created by the expansion by appointing Greg Chen and Jan Poulsen to serve on the Board until the next following annual meeting of the stockholders of the Company, at which such directors shall be eligible for election by the stockholders.

Additionally, Mr. Chen was appointed the President of the Company, where his responsibilities shall include assisting the Company with its international and domestic market development, enhancing the Company's investor relations programs and the execution of those programs and assisting the Company with its corporate and operational strategies and business planning.

Also effective October 11, 2012, Mr. Longjiang Yuan resigned as a member of the Company's Audit Committee, and Mr. Poulsen was appointed to serve on the Audit Committee. Mr. Yuan will still serve as a Board member of the Company.

Also in October 2012, the Company announced that it is launching a series of investor relations programs in the near future geared toward increasing awareness in the investment community of the Company and maximizing shareholder value.

Business Outlook

"We are optimistic about our future and our team is ready to make the most of the opportunities that we see on the horizon," said Mr. Hao. "In recent years, we have accumulated ample resources and advantages through our vertical value chain from farmland to consumer market, reinforced by our advanced production capacities, large warehousing facilities, exclusive logistic infrastructures and extensive sale network. Today, our sales network covers around 20,000 supermarkets and convenience stores across China, with distribution in over 29 provinces in the nation, including key metropolitan areas like Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, Fuzhou, Chengdu and Shijiazhuang. Importantly, our products are being presented in some supermarket chains under major global brands. Overall, our mission is to grow into a global leader in vertical agricultural value chains, providing diversified product lines delivered to commercial and consumer markets."

"To further grow our business, we plan on extending our operations to other producing areas of corn and grain such as Hebei and Jilin Provinces," Mr. Hao continued. "Moreover, we intend to boost commercial sales to institutional clients, particularly in the grain products for the consumer market. We are also carefully considering vertical or horizontal acquisitions for our business growth, although we do not currently have any agreements in place to do so at this time. While we strive to reach these goals, we will continue to develop a diversified vertical agricultural value chain by adding more food products to our product lines and utilizing available global resources and organic certifications to expand through exporting into the US and other regions. 2012 has been a transformative year for our growing company and I am confident that we now have the right people and strategies in place to drive our growth and in effect, better reward the Company's shareholders."

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call on November 20, 2012 at 8:30 AM EST to discuss the Company's results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.

To join the conference call, use the dial-in information below. When prompted, ask for the "Deyu Agriculture Call" and/or be prepared to provide the conference ID.

Dial in at least 10 minutes before the call to ensure timely participation. A playback will be available until 11:59 PM December 4, 2012. To listen, please call 877-660-6853 within the United States or 201-612-7415 if calling internationally.

Utilize the pass code below for replay (both required)

About Deyu Agriculture

Deyu Agriculture Corp. is a vertically integrated agricultural value chain from farmland to consumer market, which produces, processes, markets and distributes organic and other agricultural products made from corn and grains operating in Shanxi Province in China. The Company has access to over 109,000 acres of farmland in Shanxi Province for breeding, cultivating, processing, warehousing and distributing grain and corn products. Deyu Agriculture Corp. has an extensive wholesale network in over 15 provinces and a retail distribution network of approximately 20,000 supermarkets and convenience stores in 29 provinces across China. Deyu Agriculture Corp.'s facilities include sophisticated production lines and modern warehouses with a total production capacity of over 105,000 tons for grain products, storage capacity of over 100,000 tons and annual turnover of 700,000 tons for corn products. The Company's website is located at www.deyuagri.com.

Safe Harbor Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements are based upon the current plans, estimates and projections of Deyu Agriculture Corp.'s management and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward looking statements. Such statements include, among others, those concerning market and industry segment growth and demand and acceptance of new and existing products; any projections of sales, earnings, revenue, margins or other financial items; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; uncertainties related to conducting business in China, as well as all assumptions, expectations, predictions, intentions or beliefs about future events. Therefore, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: business conditions in China, general economic conditions; geopolitical events and regulatory changes, availability of capital, changes in the agricultural industry, the Company's ability to maintain its competitive position. Additional Information regarding risks can be found in the Company's quarterly and annual reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

Company Contact:

Deyu Hotline: +1-646-499-5475

Mr. Greg Chen, President
Deyu Agriculture Corp.
Tel: +1-646-820-8085
Email: [email protected]

Ms. Amy He, Chief Financial Officer
Deyu Agriculture Corp.
Tel: +86-10-5224-1802 X389
Email: [email protected]

Investor Contact:

Mr. Kevin Ma
NUWA Group LLC
Tel: +1-212-984-1869
Email: [email protected]

- Financial Tables Follow -

Note: Please refer to the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2012 for additional notes, which are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements

SOURCE Deyu Agriculture Corp.

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