Charlie Boero Hughes
Analyst
Thank you, Mariano. Good morning, everyone. Please turn to Page 4. Where I would first like to take a moment to comment on how the dynamics of the Brazilian Sugar, Ethanol and Energy business have been impacted during the second quarter of 2020, as it will be instrumental to understand the decisions we've made throughout the quarter. During this period, Brazilian ethanol business experienced a decrease in prices and demand, mainly explained by the fall in international oil prices, as can be seen in the top left chart, caused by the oversupply of oil generated by the geopolitical conflict between Russia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This translated into a decrease in the price of ethanol due to the correlation they maintained as can be seen in the top right chart. And by the reduction of people circulation in Brazil as a protective measure in response to the COVID-19, which lead to a natural decline in the demand for fuels and biofuels, such as ethanol, as can be seen in the bottom left chart. The impact of these factors caused the industry to experience a challenging second quarter of the year. April was defined by uncertainty regarding the extent of COVID-19 impact. Indeed, estimates pointed to a 50% year-over-year decrease in demand for ethanol. Actual figures, although less negative, still painted a challenging scenario. On a year-over-year comparison, ethanol demand in Brazil declined 28.6%. Ethanol prices experienced a 25% decrease and international oil prices experienced a sharp decline as well. In addition, ethanol stock levels were high due to carryover from 2019. Mills across Brazil switched their mix to maximize sugar, which presented higher relative prices, thus limiting the supply of ethanol. During May, international gasoline prices experienced a recovery, and there was a 21.8% month-over-month increase in demand for ethanol in Brazil due to a less restrictive lockdown than originally thought, although year-over-year demand was 27.9% lower. By June, there were signs of recovery. For instance, the year-over-year drop in ethanol demand stood at only 10.5%. Ethanol prices denominated in Brazilian currency were 1.6% higher year-over-year on the account of a favorable FX rate, higher gasoline prices and a lower supply due to mills diverting their production to sugar, which price in Brazil currency was at historically high levels. During July, ethanol's fundamentals pointed to a recovery as seen in an 11% month-over-month increase in demand, and only a 9% year-over-year decrease according to UNICA's latest report. Towards year-end analyst estimate, a tight supply and demand scenario for ethanol, pointing to a price recovery. This is so because the decrease in demand is expected to amount to 4.9 million cubic meters, while the decrease in supply caused by the generalized shift towards sugar production is expected to stand at 5.5 million cubic meters. As a side note, I would like to briefly mention that in June 2020, we officially became the first company to commercialize carbon credits under the RenovaBio program, marking a milestone in Brazil's biofuel policy. We are proud of this achievement, which shows our commitment to sustainable operations, and we are confident in the positive impact at RenovaBio we have in the industry. Now let's move to Page 5 with a brief analysis on the rains in Mato Grosso do Sul. As seen on the top charts, rains in Mato Grosso do Sul during the second quarter of 2020 were 12.5% below the 10-year average, but doubled compared to the second quarter of 2019, which registered very dry weather. The distribution of rainfalls, however, was not even throughout the quarter. The rains mostly concentrated in the month of May, improving the outlook for the following quarters. Let's continue with Slide 6, where I would like to discuss our sugarcane crushing. As mentioned above, we have been following closely the evolution of factors impacting Brazilian Sugar, Ethanol and Energy business and rapidly reassessing our strategy to adjust to the changing scenario. This is why at the beginning of the quarter, we decided to slow down our crushing pace and reduce our level of operations in tandem with a lower volume. In addition, we implemented a cost reduction plan, which included, among others, the temporary suspension of employees under Provisional Measure 936/20, thus allowing us to maintain the workforce sized to our operational needs. However, in light of the signs of partial recovery in June and favored by the dry weather registered in the cluster region, we began the process of revamping our operations and accelerating our crushing pace again. On a quarterly basis, we crushed 2.9 million tons, 28% or 1.1 million tons lower compared to the same period of last year. Our strategy to slow down crushing was evidenced in a 10.1% year-over-year decrease in effective milling days and a 19.9% decrease in milling per day as can be seen in the top left chart. On a 6-month basis, a total of 4.2 million tons of sugarcane were crushed, 21.6% or 1.2 million lower -- tons lower than the first 6 months of 2019, fully explained by the second quarter's dynamic. We expect to recover this lower crushing volume during the second semester. Indeed, during July, we reached a record high of 1.7 million tons of sugarcane crushed, which on a year-to-date basis, reduced the gap versus last year to only 700,000 tons. This improvement in our operations, coupled with a positive outlook in terms of productivity, will allow us to take advantage of the recovery in ethanol's fundamentals. Please jump to Page 7, where I would like to walk you through our agricultural productivity. Working yields during the second quarter reached 81 tons per hectare, 1.5% lower than the second quarter of 2019. In terms of sugar content, TRS during the quarter reached 126 kilograms per ton, in line with the same period of last year. The combination of these 2 effects resulted in TRS production per hectare of 10.3 tons, 2.2% lower year-over-year. Year-to-date, yields reached 75 tons per hectare and TRS content, 117 kilograms per ton, 11.4% and 4% lower year-over-year, respectively. This is explained by the fact that during the first quarter of the year, to profit from very attractive ethanol prices and in order to secure cane availability for 2020, we maximized the harvest of hectares with low productive potential. This strategy allowed the sugarcane with highest potential to continue growing and recover from the impact of the 2019's adverse weather conditions, resulting in a negative impact in both yield and TRS content, which resulted in lower TRS production per hectare. Let's move ahead to Slide 8, where I would like to discuss our production mix. As you can see in the top left chart, during the second quarter of 2020, ethanol prices experienced a sharp decline and hydrous and hydrous ethanol in Mato Grosso do Sul traded at an average price of $0.103 and $0.095 per pound sugar equivalent, marking a 4.7% and 11.7% discount to sugar, respectively. In this context, all our efforts were focused on maximizing sugar. The product with the highest marginal contribution to which we diverted 54% of the TRS. During first semester of 2020, as can be seen on the top right chart, we diverted 41% of the TRS production to sugar compared with 20% during 2019. I would like to insist that this high degree in flexibility constitutes one of our most important competitive advantages since it allows us to make a more efficient use of our fixed assets and sell the product with the highest marginal contribution. As a result of this strategy, during the first semester of the year, sugar accounted for 36.6% of total EBITDA generation in the Sugar, Ethanol and Energy business considering other operating income, while ethanol accounted for 55%. Let's please turn to Slide 9, where I would like to discuss quarterly sales. As you can see on the top left chart, during the second quarter of 2020, ethanol sales volumes decreased by 52.3% year-over-year. This is explained by the lockdown measures adopted by some states in Brazil, which negatively affected demand for fuel. Indeed, hydrous ethanol sales were the most impacted, dropping by 67.3% compared to the second quarter of 2019 as liquidity for the product remained limited, and there was no clear market price reference. And hydrous ethanol sales were 29.8% lower compared to the same period of last year, driven by lower gasoline consumption. Average selling prices for ethanol were lower, both measured in reals as well as U.S. dollars, standing at $0.103 per pound, representing a 32.8% year-over-year reduction and marking at significant discounts to sugar. All in all, net ethanol sales during the quarter amounted to $23.2 million, 70% lower year-over-year. In the case of energy, selling volumes reached 259,000 megawatt hour, marking a 17.9% decrease year-over-year, explained by our commercial strategy to postpone energy sales in the spot market in light of the low prices observed during the quarter. Average selling prices were lower, both measured in reals as well as in U.S. dollars, standing at $35 per megawatt hour, marking a 28.6% decrease compared to the same period of last year. Overall, net sales were 41.9% lower compared to second quarter of 2019, reaching $9.1 million. Lower sales volumes during the quarter reached 134,000 tons, 48.6% higher year-over-year on the account of the maximization of sugar production. This was partially offset by average net selling prices measured in U.S. dollars, which dropped by 11.4% to $0.109 per pound, although prices in reals were at its historical maximums, explaining why Brazilian producers continued maximizing sugar. As a result, net sugar sales reached $31.9 million during the quarter, a 20% increase year-over-year. Finally, to conclude with the Sugar, Ethanol and Energy business, please turn to Slide 10, where I would like to discuss financial performance. Adjusted EBITDA during the second quarter of 2020 was $45.4 million, 44.4% lower compared to the same period of last year. This was mostly explained by lower net sales, partially offset by cost dilution following the depreciation of the Brazilian real, lower selling expenses as we renegotiated sugar freight costs and paid less [indiscernible] tax in line with the lower ethanol sales, and lower general and administrative expenses, both on the account of currency depreciation as well as genuine savings as part of our cost reduction initiatives. I would now like to move on to the Farming business. Please direct your attention to Slide 12. As of the date of this report, 92.7% of our total planted area was successfully harvested and presented good yields. The remaining hectares are expected to be harvested by early August. Let's move to Page 13, where I would like to walk you through the financial performance of our Farming and Land Transformation businesses. Adjusted EBITDA in the Farming and Land Transformation businesses during the first semester of 2020 was $64.8 million, 52.9% or $22.4 million higher year-over-year. This increase is fully explained by the dynamics of the second quarter, which generated an adjusted EBITDA of $40.2 million, 4x higher year-over-year. In our Land Transformation segment, during the second quarter of 2020, we generated a gain of $10.1 million from the sale of 811 hectares of our farm in Argentina, representing our first farm sale in Argentina in 5 years. On a year-to-date basis, this gain marks a 7.6% increase compared with the $9.4 million results registered during 2019 from the sale of Alto Alegre farm in Brazil. Adjusted EBITDA in our Farming business amounted to $54.7 million in the first semester of 2020 and $30.1 million during the second quarter, 3x higher year-over-year. The impact of COVID-19 generated an increase in the demand for rice and milk, which we are able to capitalize. During the second quarter of 2020, the Crops business generated an adjusted EBITDA of $17 million, $14 million higher compared to the same period of last year. This increase is mainly explained by higher average prices driven by a greater participation of higher value crops, such as peanut and sunflower; and year-over-year increase in harvested area, in particular, in the case of corn, which increased by 22,000 hectares, generating a $4 million gain in changes in fair value; an increase in the mark-to-market of our commodity hedge position; and cost dilution following the depreciation of the Argentine peso. The Rice business generated an adjusted EBITDA of $8.3 million during the second quarter of the year, $5.2 million higher year-over-year. This was driven by an increase in sales generated by higher demand, both in the domestic and export market, driven by countries rebuilding their stocks and increasing consumption, coupled with higher average prices as export prices increased and we pushed the sale of higher-margin products in the domestic market. The increase in adjusted EBITDA was also due to an increase in the mark-to-market of our biological assets and lower costs in dollar terms. The Dairy business generated an adjusted EBITDA of $5 million during the second quarter of the year, mainly driven by higher selling volumes on the account of an increased demand in the domestic market and achieved efficiencies in our vertically integrated operations, including high productivity at the farm level and the flexibility of our industrial assets, which allowed us to benefit from the spike in demand. Let's now turn to Page 15, which shows the evolution of Adecoagro's consolidated operational and financial performance. Net sales during the second quarter of 2020 reached $181 million, 13.7% lower year-over-year. This is fully explained by the performance of the Sugar, Ethanol and Energy business, which received the greatest impact from the coronavirus pandemic, which translated into lower prices of sugar, ethanol and energy measured in U.S. dollars and lower selling volumes for ethanol and energy. Adjusted EBITDA totaled $81.2 million, marking a 6.6% decrease compared to the same period of last year. On a year-to-date basis, net sales reached $332 million and adjusted EBITDA $142 million, 8.5% and 2.1% lower year-over-year. Please turn to Slide 16 to take a look at our debt amortization schedule. I would like to highlight that it was not only from an operational and financial point of view that we adapted our strategy in response to the pandemic, we also worked on an integral risk management program to improve our liquidity position in light of such an uncertain scenario. As you know, we started 2020 with a cash position of $219 million. And throughout the year, we reassessed our cost structure, put on hold some uncommitted capital expenditures and raised credit lines to strengthen our cash position and make front to our financial obligations and working capital needs. Indeed, during the second quarter, we increased our short-term debt position by 23% quarter-over-quarter by raising short-term working capital lines. It is worth mentioning that much of this debt was raised as a precautionary measure due to the uncertainty in the macroeconomic scenario, and that due to the seasonality of our business, our sales haven't been collected yet. As can be seen in the bottom graph, our pro forma debt amortization schedule improved considerably compared with March 31, 2020. This is mostly on the account of the $100 million loan agreement we entered with IFC this time for our Argentina operations, which almost doubled the average life of our debt to 6 years. We are proud of this major achievement, especially given the current global economic situation as it is a reflection of our hard work, solid reputation and the stable outlook of our business. Having received this green loan also validates our strong commitment to environmental sustainability. To conclude, please turn to Slide 17 to take a look at our net debt position. As you may see in the bottom left chart, our net debt as of June 30 of 2020, reached $742 million, $30.2 million or 4.2% higher than the previous quarter, driven by a $31 million increase in gross debt, which amounted to $978 million, 3.3% higher than the previous quarter and cash and equivalents flat at $236 million. On a year-over-year basis, net debt was 4.3% lower compared to the second quarter 2019 on the account of higher cash and equivalents, mostly driven by a positive free cash flow during the last 12 months, which fully offset the higher gross debt. We believe that our balance sheet is in a healthy position, not only based on the adequate overall debt levels, but also on the term of our indebtedness with approximately 75% having a long-term tenure. Our net debt ratio reached 2.45x, 6.2% higher than during the first quarter of 2020, but 17.4% lower year-over-year. At the same time, our liquidity ratio shows the full capacity of the company to replace short-term debt with cash balance without raising external capital. As of June 2020, the ratio, which is calculated as cash and equivalents plus marketable inventories divided by short-term debt reached 1.22x. This number is significantly higher once we included the IFC loan. Thank you very much for your time. We are now open to questions.