(Dave Bedard photo)

Agrium to shed California UAN plant

Fertilizer and ag retail firm Agrium plans to sell off its fertilizer upgrading plant in northern California. The Calgary company announced Thursday it “intends to divest” the West Sacramento plant sometime this year. On average, over the past couple of years, the plant has produced about 200,000 tonnes of nitrogen solution products, Agrium said. Agrium

(Dave Bedard photo)

Cost-cutting Mosaic CEO collects $5.5M pay raise

Reuters — U.S. fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. boosted its CEO’s pay last year by more than $5 million as a reward for slashing costs and jobs, a regulatory filing shows. Construction of excess potash capacity and fiercer competition have pressured the sector, and leading North American producers Mosaic, PotashCorp and Agrium have chopped expenses. Mosaic


field of winter wheat

Winter Cereals Manitoba announces wheat project funding

Part of a $2.2-million, four-year initiative across the Prairies

Winter Cereals Manitoba Inc. (WCMI) has announced an investment of $125,000 in 11 winter wheat-related research and development projects. They are part of an overall program with investment from all funding partners being $2.2 million over four years, including $1 million in matched funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) under the Growing Forward 2

(Photo courtesy Agrium)

Saskatchewan aims to ease potash tax’s price reliance

Winnipeg | Reuters — Resource-rich Saskatchewan wants to change the taxes it charges on production of potash, to better reflect output and lessen the influence of potash prices, the province’s economy minister said Thursday. Potash prices have weakened since 2012 as capacity has increased. Competition has also sharpened since the 2013 breakup of Belarusian Potash

(Dave Bedard photo)

Agrium profit beats Street, helped by higher grain prices

Reuters — Fertilizer and farm retail dealer Agrium reported a better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit helped by higher prices for most grains and oilseeds. The company also forecast 2015 profit to be $7 to $8.50 per share. Analysts on average expect a profit of $7.55 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Agrium’s U.S.-listed shares rose two


(Dave Bedard photo)

Ex-Viterra chief returns to Agrium board

No longer lined up to lead Louis Dreyfus’ global commodities operations, Mayo Schmidt is back on the board of one of the world’s major ag retail and fertilizer firms. Schmidt — previously CEO at Viterra, Canada’s biggest grain handling firm, from 2000 to 2012 — had stepped down last month from Calgary-based Agrium’s board of directors in light of

Agrium to shed U.S. fertilizer terminals

Fertilizer giant Agrium’s planned exit from the purchase-for-resale business now includes a US$50 million deal for two of its U.S. fertilizer facilities. The Calgary company announced Tuesday it’s reached a deal to sell its Illinois anhydrous ammonia storage and distribution terminals at Niota and Meredosia — about 150 km west of Peoria and 95 km

(Photo courtesy Agrium)

Agrium restarts potash output at Sask. mine

Fertilizer and ag retail giant Agrium has restarted potash production at its west-central Saskatchewan mine after a months-long expansion-related shutdown. Calgary-based Agrium said Wednesday its site at Vanscoy, about 25 km southwest of Saskatoon, is back in business after completion of what it called a “major turnaround” to tie in a one million-tonne expansion project.


New Dreyfus CEO leaves Agrium board

Mayo Schmidt, the former Viterra chief executive named last month to become CEO of Louis Dreyfus’ global commodities business, has stepped away from the board table at ag input firm Agrium. Calgary-based Agrium, which includes wholesale fertilizer and retail seed, fertilizer and crop protection businesses, announced last Monday (Dec. 22) that Schmidt would resign from