Message from Chairman
For the cane and sugar industry in Thailand, in the past production year 2021/2022, the amount of sugarcane output to be milled in Thailand increased to 92.07 million tons or an increase of 38.12% (the amount of cane milled in the production year 2020/2021 was at 66.67 million tons), which resulted in the sugar factories being able to use their production capacity more properly. As for the Company, in the production year 2021/2022, in addition to the Khon Buri Sugar Mill with 2.72 million tons of cane milled, the Company has also started milling sugarcane from the Sikhio Sugar Mill for the first time with total amount of cane milled of 0.96 million tons. However, the amount of cane still was not at full capacity of the Company.
The Company has adapted and coped with such impacts by focusing on the management of sugarcane plantations to increase the quantity and quality of sugarcane, including increasing the efficiency of the extraction to increase sugar per ton of cane (Yield), reducing production costs and reducing expenses in every activity. The Company still has to develop products continuously by using technology to increase sugar quality to meet the standards for major industries in the world and using by-products from the production process to create the highest added value from the biomass power plant business that uses bagasse as fuel to drive the Company’s growth.
As for the trend of the cane and sugar industry in the production year 2022/2023, the Company and the sugar industry group estimate that it is in a good direction both in quantity of cane and sugar production from the increase in rainfall, including the trend of sugar prices in the world market that continue to rise. It is expected that the amount of cane milled throughout the country will increase by about 10%, increasing from 92.07 million tons in the production year 2021/2022 to approximately 100-102 million tons.
Currently, the Company has main products under the KBS brand, including ultra-refined sugar, refined white sugar, plain white sugar and natural sugar which the Company uses various marketing strategies to create the brand “KBS” to be known in the market through the Company’s customers including industrial customers, modern trade customers, distributor and direct business channels. The goal is to build brand loyalty that is sustainable in the future.
The Company is committed and intends to operate the business of the Group together with good corporate governance, responsibility for society, community, and environment to develop towards sustainable growth and promote the quality of society through projects and activities continually. The Company has established a committee to manage social responsibility to encourage employees and communities around the factory to have a better living through various public benefit projects of the Company.
Finally, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank all shareholders, executives, employees and people related to the Company and all stakeholders, including financial institutions that have always supported the Company. KBS Group will strive to conduct business with prudence, transparency, adherence to corporate governance code for the KBS Group to grow sustainably and ready to receive competition in the industry and ready to become a leading organization in the cane, sugar and bio-energy business in the future.