Sales stood at Rs 851 crore, down 11.2 per cent from Rs 958 crore a year ago, a company statement said. However, the company would pay shareholders a dividend of Rs 3 (face value Rs 10), down from Rs 4 per share paid a year ago.

The company said its fertiliser output was lower from last year because of a revamp at all its plants, strikes by its bagging workers and a breakdown caused by a fire in its electrical mains. Cement output was lower on an extended plant shut down undertaken to raise capacity to 1.7 million tonnes per annum from 500,000 tonnes.