Rating Rationale
April 12, 2019 | Mumbai
Tropical Mushrooms (Goa) Private Limited
Rated amount enhanced
 
Rating Action
Total Bank Loan Facilities Rated Rs.17.5 Crore (Enhanced from Rs.11.5 Crore)
Long Term Rating CRISIL BBB-/Stable (Reaffirmed)
1 crore = 10 million
Refer to annexure for Details of Instruments & Bank Facilities
Detailed Rationale

CRISIL has reaffirmed its 'CRISIL BBB-/Stable' rating on the long-term bank facility of Tropical Mushrooms (Goa) Private Limited (TMG, part of Zuari Foods group).
 
On April 5, 2019, CRISIL had upgraded its rating on the long-term bank facility of TMG to 'CRISIL BBB-/Stable' from 'CRISIL BB+/Stable'.
 
The upgrade reflects expectation that the Zuari Foods group's business risk profile will improve over the medium term, supported by steady growth in revenue, established brand presence and healthy profitability. Revenue is estimated to grow at a compound annual rate of 43.5% in the five fiscals through March 2019, to around Rs 37 crore, backed by steady demand, and the established brand, Dr Kurade's. Operating margin exceeded 30% in the three years through March 2019, supported by optimum utilisation of capacity, rising demand of mushrooms, strong brand, and improving economies of scale. Revenue should continue to grow at 10-15% annually, while profitability remains around 30%. Working capital requirement has remained stable: gross current assets are likely to be around 69 days over the medium term, as they were on March 31, 2018. CRISIL believes that business risk will be supported by healthy growth in scale with healthy profitability, however scale will continue to be modest.
 
The upgrade also factors in improvement expected in financial risk profile. Significant increase in cash accrual and stable working capital cycle should strengthen debt protection metrics and liquidity, leading to low reliance on external debt. In the 12 months through January 2019, utilisation of bank limit averaged 42%. Cash accrual projected at Rs 12-15 crore per fiscal over the medium term should be more than sufficient to meet yearly debt obligation of Rs 1.5-1.75  crore.
 
The rating continues to reflect the promoters' extensive experience, and ZFF's healthy profitability and financial risk profile. These strengths are partially offset by modest-but-improving scale of operations, and moderate working capital requirement.

Analytical Approach

For arriving at the rating, CRISIL has consolidated the business and financial risk profiles of Zuari Foods And Farms Private Limited (ZFF) with those of its subsidiary TMG, together referred to herein as the Zuari Foods group as they are in similar business and managed together (see Table 1, for the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation.

Please refer Annexure - List of entities consolidated, which captures the list of entities considered and their analytical treatment of consolidation.

Key Rating Drivers & Detailed Description
Strengths:
* Experience of promoter and established brand: Dr Sangam Kurade holds a doctorate degree in food technology and has expertise in mushroom cultivation. He has set up one of the earliest modern mushroom cultivation facilities in India, helping the group to establish a strong customer base and established brand, Dr Kurade's in Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
 
* Healthy profitability: Operating margin exceeded 30% in the past three fiscals, supported by optimum capacity utilisation, growing demand for mushroom, strong brand, and improving economies of scale. The trend should continue over the medium term.
 
* Comfortable financial risk profile: Adequate networth (estimated around Rs 24 crore as on March 31, 2019, results in a comfortable capital structure, with gearing of under 0.6 time. Also, interest coverage ratio and net cash accrual to adjusted debt ratios are estimated around 8.18 times and 0.7 time for fiscal 2019 due to healthy profitability.

Weakness
* Modest but improving scale of operations: Intense competition, limited capacity and non-integrated facilities continue to constrain scalability. Revenue remains modest despite increasing to around Rs 37 crore in fiscal 2019 from Rs 29.2 crore a year ago.
 
* Moderate working capital requirement: Gross current assets are expected to remain moderate at 80-100 days owing to inventory of 60-70 days. With improving scale of operations, working capital management remains a key monitorable.  
Liquidity

Liquidity should remain adequate over the medium term. Cash accrual is likely to be at Rs 9-12 crore per fiscal, against minimum debt obligation of Rs 1.5-1.75 crore; excess cash accrual could be used to support working capital, minimising utilisation of bank limit. Utilisation of the Rs 3.5 crore cash credit limit averaged 42% in the 12 months through January 2019. The absence of debt-funded capex plans for the medium term also supports liquidity.

Outlook: Stable

CRISIL believes the group will continue to benefit over the medium term from the experience of the promoter and the established brand. The outlook may be revised to 'Positive' if increase in revenue and cash accrual and prudent working capital management strengthen financial risk profile. Conversely, the outlook may be revised to 'Negative' if low cash accrual, stretched working capital cycle, or any large debt funded capex weakens the financial risk profile.

About the Company

The Zuari Foods group cultivates and sells fresh mushrooms; the products are sold under the brand, Dr Kurade's. Dr Sangam Kurade is the promoter. ZFF, incorporated in 1993, has mushroom growing capacity of about 2.5 tonne per day (tpd). TMG, incorporated in 2011, has mushroom growing capacity of about 3.5 tpd. It commenced commercial operations from February 2016.

Key Financial Indicators (Consolidated):
Particulars Unit 2018 2017
Revenue Rs crore 29.2 19.8
Profit after tax (PAT) Rs crore 6.6 3.3
PAT margin % 22.5 16.8
Adjusted debt/adjusted networth Times 0.74 1.30
Interest coverage Times 7.18 4.18

Any other information: Not applicable

Note on complexity levels of the rated instrument:
CRISIL complexity levels are assigned to various types of financial instruments. The CRISIL complexity levels are available on www.crisil.com/complexity-levels. Users are advised to refer to the CRISIL complexity levels for instruments that they consider for investment. Users may also call the Customer Service Helpdesk with queries on specific instruments.
Annexure - Details of Instrument(s)
ISIN Name of instrument Date of
allotment
Coupon
rate (%)
Maturity
date
Issue
size
(Rs cr)
Rating assigned and outlook
NA Cash Credit NA NA NA 1.7 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
NA Term loan NA NA 15-May-2020 5.55 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
NA Term loan NA NA 31-Mar-3024 4.25 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
NA Proposed long term
bank loan facility
NA NA NA 6.00 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
 
Annexure - List of entities consolidated
Fully Consolidated entities:
ZFF and TMG
Annexure - Rating History for last 3 Years
  Current 2019 (History) 2018  2017  2016  Start of 2016
Instrument Type Outstanding Amount Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Date Rating Rating
Fund-based Bank Facilities  LT/ST  17.50  CRISIL BBB-/Stable  05-04-19  CRISIL BBB-/Stable  30-01-18  CRISIL BB+/Stable    --    --  -- 
All amounts are in Rs.Cr.
Annexure - Details of various bank facilities
Current facilities Previous facilities
Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating Facility Amount (Rs.Crore) Rating
Cash Credit 1.7 CRISIL BBB-/Stable Cash Credit 1.7 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Proposed Long Term Bank Loan Facility 6 CRISIL BBB-/Stable Term Loan 9.8 CRISIL BBB-/Stable
Term Loan 9.8 CRISIL BBB-/Stable -- 0 --
Total 17.5 -- Total 11.5 --
Links to related criteria
CRISILs Approach to Financial Ratios
CRISILs Bank Loan Ratings - process, scale and default recognition
Rating criteria for manufaturing and service sector companies
CRISILs Criteria for Consolidation
The Rating Process
Understanding CRISILs Ratings and Rating Scales

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