CUMBRIA-BASED agriculture, food and engineering business Carr's Milling Industries plc turned in a 21 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £2.36 million for the first six months of the year.

Turnover increased by 5.4 per cent to £68.4 million, with higher than expected sales of feed blocks both at home and abroad, and good progress for both retail bread and bulk flour businesses.

Chairman David Newton said: "Our performance to the half year has been very encouraging and our expectation is that the full year will again show progress."

May 1, 2003 14:00