Cranswick sales up on record hog prices

(Reuters) - Pork supplier Cranswick (CWK.L) said first-half sales rose in line with expectations, helped by an acquisition, but the business had been impacted by the rise in pig prices to record levels.

Cranswick -- which supplies fresh pork and gourmet sausages to the food retail and manufacturing sectors -- however, said prices now appeared to have peaked.

Excluding sales from the pet business, turnover rose 19 percent, of which 7 percent was related to the newly acquired Cranswick Country Foods Norfolk.

The sale of Cranswick's pet business was completed in April.

Net debt fell during the period, reflecting the net cash inflow from operations and corporate activity, partly offset by a seasonal increase in working capital.

The company's shares were trading down 2.5 percent at 680 pence at 8:19 a.m. on Wednesday on the London Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Purwa Naveen Raman in Bangalore; Editing by Vinu Pilakkott)