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Media Release

The a2 Milk Company today announced initiatives to support Chinese families affected by the impact of Coronavirus in China.

China, and Chinese families in particular, are at the heart of The a2 Milk Company’s business. As a result, both The a2 Milk Company and its strategic partner in China, China State Farm Holding Shanghai Co., Ltd. (China State Farm), have been closely monitoring the situation in China over recent weeks, and are determined to offer assistance at this challenging time.

The a2 Milk Company today announced assistance in three areas:

• Cash donation: The a2 Milk Company will donate 5 million RMB to Shanghai Red Cross to help and support the areas and people seriously affected by
• Product donation: The a2 Milk Company will donate 5 million RMB of a2 Milk™ dairy products. China State Farm is assisting with the dispatch of these products to front line medical teams and families affected by coronavirus.
• Research support: The a2 Milk Company has pledged to contribute up to NZD 1 million to independent researchers in Australia who are playing a leading role in the international effort to develop a vaccine for the virus. The a2 Milk Company is in discussion with The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity* (a joint venture of the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital) to contribute to their research into the 2019 novel coronavirus, including vaccine The a2 Milk Company is also in discussion with a second internationally recognised Australian university.

The a2 Milk Company CEO, Geoffrey Babidge said: “We are working closely with our local partner, China State Farm, on how we can assist with the distribution of our products to consumers in affected areas, and how we can best provide humanitarian assistance to Chinese citizens at this time.”

“We have also taken measures to ensure all our staff in China are as safe as possible and are taking the necessary precautions to reduce the chance of contracting the virus. The Company is working to ensure all of our people, including our Mother Baby Store promotional teams, have been issued with masks and personal hygiene equipment including disinfectant. We have created a team Social chat group to ensure open communication for updates and emergency help if required.”

“We have asked local staff to limit their movements within China in addition to putting international travel into and out of China on hold.”

“With China State Farm, we are continuing to monitor the development of Coronavirus both in China and abroad and, to date, have not experienced material changes to our operations resulting from the situation.”

*About the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity

Finding solutions to prevent, treat and cure infectious diseases and understanding the complexities of the immune system requires innovative approaches and concentrated effort. This is why The University of Melbourne – a world leader in education, teaching and research excellence – and The Royal Melbourne Hospital – an internationally renowned institution providing outstanding care, treatment and medical research – have partnered to create the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute); a centre of excellence where leading scientists and clinicians collaborate to improve human health globally.

A PDF of this announcement may be found here.

For further information, please contact:

Media
Rick Willis
M +61 411 839 344 |[email protected]

Media – China
Maurice Zhou
Redfly Communications Shanghai
M +86 (21) 5237 3356 | [email protected]

Investors / Analysts
David Akers
M +61 412 944 577 | [email protected]