AB Foods year earnings rise

Sugar profits rose 24 percent driven by a strong performance in the European Union and Africa which helped offset the effect of low sugar prices in China, although sugar prices there had risen 25 percent so far this year, Weston said.

The group's adjusted annual pre-tax profits rose 4 percent to 655 million pound while it increased its full-year dividend by 4 percent to 21p a share.

(Reporting by David Jones; Editing by Mike Nesbit)