Core Viewpoint - Guizhou Southern Dairy Co., Ltd. is responding to the first round of inquiry from the Beijing Stock Exchange regarding its IPO application, addressing key issues such as milk supply chain, regional market dependence, subsidiary losses, and the rationale for fundraising [1][3]. Company Overview - Guizhou Southern Dairy is a subsidiary of Guizhou Agricultural Investment Development Group, focusing on the research, production, and sales of dairy products and livestock breeding, with brands including "Shanhua," "Huadu Pasture," and "Guicao" [3]. - The company has a significant reliance on the Guizhou market, with over 90% of its main business revenue generated from the province [3]. Market Expansion - Despite efforts to expand beyond Guizhou, the company still sees over 90% of its revenue from the province, although it has made inroads into markets in Hunan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, and Hainan [3][4]. - The company reported a market share of approximately 67.84% in Guizhou in 2023, up from 59.37% in 2022, indicating growth potential in the local market [4]. Supply Chain and Sourcing - The company sources fresh milk from its own farms, subsidiaries, third-party large farms, and cooperatives, with over 51.1% of its fresh milk supply coming from external sources in 2024, a significant increase from 39.24% in 2023 [5][6]. - The average price of fresh milk has decreased from 4.16 yuan/kg in 2022 to 3.31 yuan/kg in 2024, a drop of 20.43%, prompting the company to increase its reliance on external milk sourcing [6][7]. Financial Performance - The company's revenue grew from 1.575 billion yuan in 2022 to 1.805 billion yuan in 2023, with a slight increase to 1.817 billion yuan in 2024, indicating a slowdown in growth [7]. - Net profit rose from 173 million yuan in 2022 to 200 million yuan in 2023, with a marginal increase to 209 million yuan in 2024, reflecting limited growth [7]. Subsidiary Losses - The company acknowledged that the collective losses of its three subsidiaries in 2024 were reasonable due to declining fresh milk prices and increased costs associated with new farm constructions [8]. - The subsidiaries are showing signs of recovery in 2025, with improved operational conditions and reduced costs [8][9]. Fundraising and Investment Plans - The company initially planned to raise 980 million yuan but has since reduced the total to 750 million yuan, eliminating the supplementary working capital project and adjusting the marketing network investment [10][11]. - The revised fundraising will support the establishment of a milk source production base and enhance the marketing network to improve brand influence and market share [11].