Anticipates Significant Improvement During Spring Planting Season
BEIJING and CLAREMONT, Calif., May 10 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Kiwa Bio-Tech Products Group Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: KWBT) announced revenues for the first quarter of 2008 ended March 31 were $2,184,271, an increase of 57.8% above revenues of $1,384,093 for the first quarter of 2007.
The significant revenue improvement is due to the expansion in Kiwa's bio-fertilizer and bio-enhanced feed businesses. During the first quarter of 2008, revenue generated from the bio-fertilizer business increased 1136.7% to $148,104 from $11,976. Net sales contributed by the bio-enhanced feed business increased 48.4%, to $2,036,167 from $1,372,117 in the first quarter of the previous year.
The net loss increased to $686,195 for the three-month period ended March 31, 2008 compared to $639,259 for the three months ended March 31, 2007. This net loss increase was partially the result of a decrease in gross profit in the bio-feed business due to a sharp increase in prices of raw materials and an increase in interest expenses partly offset by a decrease in operating expenses. Please refer to documents filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission for additional information on the results for the first quarter of 2008.
Mr. Wei Li, Chairman and CEO of Kiwa, stated, "Poor winter weather in some planting areas of China and world wide increases in food prices suggest that orders for the bio-fertilizer business will be strong during the Spring planting season. We are pleased that our products are receiving recognition by farmers and governmental agencies. For instance, in March, the Ministry of Agriculture of the PRC granted an initial fertilizer registration certificate to our wholly owned subsidiary, Kiwa Bio-Tech Products (Shandong) Co., Ltd. for a newly developed bio-fertilizer product, "Fudikang". Fudikang is an inoculant that speeds decomposition of organic matter. It was developed by Kiwa-CAU R&D Centre which was established by Kiwa and China Agricultural University, one of the most respected Chinese universities in the field of agriculture. Kiwa is partaking in a 2008 initiative organized by the Chinese government: ‘The National Soil Organic Matter Advancement Pilot Subsidy Project'."
Mr. Wei Li also noted progress is being made related to the joint venture with Shijiazhuang Huaxing Animal Medicine Co., Ltd. ("Huaxing") and the acquisition of the factory that produces veterinary pharmaceuticals and is capable of manufacturing AF-01 antiviral for avian flu. A press release related to the joint venture and capital raised specifically for the joint venture is expected shortly.
ABOUT KIWA BIO-TECH PRODUCTS GROUP CORPORATION
The Company develops, manufactures, distributes and markets innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally safe bio-technological products for agricultural and natural resources and environmental conservation. The Company's products are designed to enhance the quality of human life by increasing the value, quality and productivity of crops and decreasing the negative environmental impact of chemicals and other wastes. For more information about the Company, please review documents filed with the SEC (http://www.sec.gov) or visit the Company's website at http://www.kiwabiotech.com .
This press release contains information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results described by the forward-looking statements. Risk factors that could contribute to such differences include those matters more fully disclosed in the Company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of the press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.
