Toronto/Winnipeg | Reuters — The shareholders of Agrium and PotashCorp are set to overwhelmingly approve a merger of the two Canadian fertilizer producers, according to a source familiar with the situation, despite initial skepticism from Agrium investors. About 99 per cent of the votes from both groups of shareholders are in favour of the transaction, […] Read more
Agrium/PotashCorp merger set for shareholder approval
Carbon price worries farmers, fertilizer makers
Winnipeg/Toronto | Reuters — Canada’s plan to price carbon emissions may weaken the farm sector in one of the biggest grain-shipping countries, raising farmers’ costs and discouraging investment in fertilizer production, industry groups say. Ottawa this month promised a price on carbon emissions by 2018, and will let provinces choose a tax or cap-and-trade system. […] Read more
Vale fertilizer sale seen on track despite review
Rio de Janeiro | Reuters — Vale SA’s plan to dispose of fertilizer assets remains on track despite a request last week by Brazil’s state development bank, BNDES, to analyze the transaction more carefully, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. Terms of the deal, which involves the sale of certain assets […] Read more
P+H bulking up on fertilizer in southeastern Saskatchewan
Winnipeg grain company Parrish and Heimbecker has started construction work to further boost its crop input retail profile in southeastern Saskatchewan. The company, in an online newsletter released this week, said it has fast-tracked work on a new 1,800-tonne capacity liquid fertilizer blend plant at Moosomin, Sask., to accompany a 16,000-tonne capacity dry fertilizer storage […] Read more
Tough farm conditions right time for merger, Agrium CEO says
Reuters — Plunging crop and fertilizer prices may not have hit rock bottom yet, and the market’s weakness makes it the right time to merge leading farm input suppliers, the CEO of Agrium said on Tuesday, making his pitch to skeptical investors for a US$26 billion union with PotashCorp. “Are we at the bottom yet? […] Read more
Fertilizer merger highlights big-picture concerns
CNS Canada — A multi-billion-dollar merger between two major crop input companies is the latest in a string of consolidation efforts in North America’s agriculture industry, drawing attention again to the possible effects on the value chain. Agrium and PotashCorp announced Monday they plan to combine to create an integrated global supplier of crop inputs, […] Read more
PotashCorp, Agrium make engagement official
The boards of two of the heaviest hitters in Canada’s fertilizer sector have formally agreed to a $47 billion “merger of equals” deal under a new, yet-to-be-named parent company. PotashCorp, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, and rival Agrium, which is also the world’s biggest crop input retail chain, announced an agreement Monday in […] Read more
Growmark, FS plan SW Ontario fertilizer store
Crop supply retail chain FS Partners and its owner, ag co-operative Growmark, plan to put up an expanded fertilizer centre in southwestern Ontario to supply both farmers and other retailers. Growmark announced its plans Wednesday for a new 15,000-tonne capacity facility to be built at Ayr, Ont., about 20 km south of Kitchener. The Illinois-based […] Read more
Fertilizer merger faces easier approval at home than in U.S.
Toronto/Washington | Reuters — Canada’s PotashCorp and Agrium are more likely to win approval for a potential merger in Canada than in the U.S., but U.S. rejection of the deal would scuttle it globally, competition lawyers said. Saskatoon-based PotashCorp and Calgary’s Agrium confirmed Tuesday they were in preliminary merger talks, toward a deal that would […] Read more
PotashCorp, Agrium merger would send farmers to regulators
Winnipeg/Chicago | Reuters — North American farmers will pressure regulators to protect their negotiating leverage with fertilizer suppliers if PotashCorp and Agrium agree to merge, major farm groups said on Wednesday. The potential deal revealed on Tuesday would combine the world’s largest fertilizer producer by capacity, with the continent’s biggest network of farm retail dealers, […] Read more
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