Press Release

ASTRAL FREEZES SALARIES

18 October 2012: Astral Foods Limited (Astral), one of South Africa’s leading poultry producers, announced that the Executive Management team had taken a bold decision earlier this year, which was ratified by the board during August 2012, not to implement its annual October salary increases . Astral’s Chief Executive Officer, Chris Schutte said: “This extraordinary initiative by the Executive Management team was taken after careful and prudent consideration of the impact of the prevailing unfavourable market conditions on Astral and the poultry industry. High maize and soya prices together with spiralling energy costs against record levels of poultry imports and weak consumer demand, contributed to this decision. The decision to freeze this year’s salary increases was not done lightly and we will be evaluating this decision from time-to-time. Astral has thoroughly investigated every possible alternative to avoid retrenchments as a result of cutbacks in its operational activities, and it was felt that by not increasing salaries will assist in preventing further job cuts. The current status of the poultry industry was brought about by macro-economic factors which management had little or no control over, however this freeze on salary increases can be seen as management’s and the employees’ contribution in an endeavour to avoid more people losing their jobs. Inflationary related increases for minimum wage earners will be considered on the merit of specific business unit performances. “We strongly believe that South Africans who currently have formal employment and secure income, in this uncertain economic climate, are the privileged ones compared to those who do not have jobs, a steady income or those that could face retrenchments,” Schutte concluded.

Ends Contact: Astral Foods Limited

Chris Schutte (CEO of Astral Foods Limited) Len Hansen (Human Resources Director of Astral Operations Limited) Tel: (012) 667-5468

Issued and released by: KeyterRech Investor Solutions

Marlize Keyter (011) 447-5204 / 083 701 2021 Issue date: Tuesday 16 October 2012 JSE code: ARL Web-site: www.astralfoods.com Company background

Astral Foods Limited (Astral), a leading South African integrated poultry producer, with key activities in animal feed pre-mixes, manufacturing of animal feeds, broiler genetics, production and sale of day-old chicks and hatching eggs, with integrated breeder and broiler production operations, abattoirs as well as sales and distribution of various key poultry brands. The brands in the Astral stable include:

• Earlybird

• County Fair

• Festive

• Meadow Feeds

• Goldi

• NuTec

• National Chicks • Tiger Animal Feeds (Zambia)

• TIGERChicks (Zambia)

• Central Analytical Laboratories

• Ross Poultry Breeders