Question 1

SECTION B

Verdant Yields is a rapidly growing Agri-Tech startup specializing in vertical farming. The company cultivates high-value medicinal herbs indoors using advanced hydroponics. The company is preparing its financial statements for the year ended 31 December 20X5 and is currently seeking Series B funding from venture capital (VC) investors.

**Exhibit 1: Medicinal Herbs**
Verdant Yields plants seeds for a rare medicinal herb that takes 6 months to mature. As of 31 December 20X5, a large batch of these herbs is 3 months old (halfway through the growth cycle). The historical cost incurred for this batch (seeds, labor, nutrients) is $120,000. The fair value of the mature herbs at harvest is estimated to be $400,000. The fair value of the half-mature herbs currently in the vertical farm is estimated at $220,000. Estimated costs to sell at harvest are $20,000.

**Exhibit 2: Warehouse Lease**
On 1 January 20X5, Verdant Yields entered into a 10-year lease for a specialized climate-controlled warehouse. The initial annual lease payment is $100,000, payable in arrears on 31 December each year. The lease payments are subject to an annual increase linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). On 1 January 20X5, the CPI was 100. The interest rate implicit in the lease is 5%. On 31 December 20X5, the CPI increased to 104, meaning the payment due on 31 December 20X6 will be $104,000.

**Exhibit 3: Share-Based Payments**
To retain top talent, Verdant Yields granted 10,000 share options to its lead botanist on 1 January 20X5. The options vest on 31 December 20X7 (a 3-year vesting period), provided the botanist remains employed and the company successfully patents a new hydroponic nutrient formula (a non-market performance condition). On 1 January 20X5, the fair value of each option was $15. On 31 December 20X5, the fair value of each option rose to $18. Management estimates there is an 80% probability that the patent will be successfully registered by the end of 20X7.

**Requirements:**

(a) Advise Verdant Yields on the recognition and measurement of the medicinal herbs as of 31 December 20X5, in accordance with IAS 41 Agriculture. (8 marks)

(b) Explain how the warehouse lease should be initially measured on 1 January 20X5, and how the change in the CPI should be accounted for in the financial statements for the year ended 31 December 20X5, in accordance with IFRS 16 Leases. (8 marks)

(c) Discuss the accounting treatment for the share-based payment to the lead botanist for the year ended 31 December 20X5 under IFRS 2 Share-based Payment. Furthermore, explain to the prospective VC investors how this accounting treatment impacts the reported EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization). (9 marks)

Accepted Answer

For part (a), state the IAS 41 rule (Fair Value less costs to sell) and apply it to the half-mature herbs, explicitly stating that historical cost is ignored. For part (b), calculate the initial PV of the lease. Explain that CPI changes only trigger a remeasurement of the liability (adjusted against the ROU asset) when the cash flows actually change. For part (c), calculate the IFRS 2 expense using the grant date fair value (ignore year-end FV) and the probability of the non-market condition. For the stakeholder part, explain that IFRS 2 is a non-cash expense and should be added back for Adjusted EBITDA.

Question 2

What mistakes do candidates make on this ACCA question?

Accepted Answer

Students often try to value the biological asset at cost (IAS 2) instead of fair value (IAS 41). For IFRS 16, students often forget to remeasure the liability when the CPI changes. For IFRS 2, a very common error is using the year-end fair value ($18) instead of the grant date fair value ($15).

How to approach this question

Full Answer

Common mistakes

Practice the full ACCA SBR — Strategic Business Reporting Practice Exam 5

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