CHINA Mengniu Dairy Co's first-half profit rose 41.3 percent despite rising raw material added its cost.

China's second largest dairy product maker, in terms of sales revenue last year, said net profit rose to 485.1 million yuan (US$64.7 million) from January to June, the Inner Mongolia-based company said in a statement to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange yesterday. Earnings per share paced up by 40 percent to 0.35 yuan.