R&H Hall, Ireland’s largest grain trader and animal feed importer, paid a cash dividend of €10m to its joint shareholders, Origin Enterprises and W&R Barnett, last year.

Accounts filed for R&H Hall show the company made the dividend payment after it reported pre-tax profits of just under €8.7m for its financial year to the end of July 2019. The company had built up accumulated profits on its balance sheet of more than €31m, which allowed it to make the significant dividend payout.

Overall, R&H Hall reported a 17% increase in sales for its 2019 financial year, to just over €468m. Operating profits for the company increased by 2% in the year to just under €9m, as profit margins narrowed from 2.2% in 2018 to 1.9% last year.

R&H Hall operates grain handling facilities at all of the key ports in Ireland, including Dublin, Belfast, Ringaskiddy and Foynes. The company is one of the leading importers of grain and animal feed ingredients for the Irish market. It operates as a 50:50 joint venture between Origin Enterprises and W&R Barnett.