Yara International : begins operations at newly acquired Brazilian plant

Yara will this week start operations at the blending unit it acquired in August in Catalão, Brazil, after the authorities gave a greenlight on the deal.

The unit was made ready to operate in line with the same global standards as Yara. The unit strengthens Yara's presence in the strategically important region and brings the company closer to farmers in one of Brazil's main agricultural centres, the Mid-West.

The total annual capacity of the unit is 300,000 tonnes, but it has the potential to expand production to meet demand. 'The operation in Catalão fits with Yara's strategy to expand its participation in the region and in the agricultural market in Goiás, which has grown faster than average in Brazil over the last few years', says Cleiton Vargas, VP Marketing and Sales, Yara Brazil.

According to Vargas, the new unit enables Yara to provide better nutritional solutions to growers in the region. 'Through products and complete nutritional programs, such as Supersoja and +Mays, for second season corn, Yara will further support the farmer to increase their productivity in a sustainable way', he says.

Since November, the new team of employees has been trained and undergone integration processes in order to operate in line with Yara's global policies, especially when it comes to safety and ethics.

The transaction forms part of the company's expansion strategy in the Brazilian market, in which approximately $1.5 billion has been invested over the last five years.

Among the main capital investments were the acquisition of Bunge Fertilizantes (2013), the joint venture with Galvani (2014), the construction and revitalization of the most modern industrial mixing units in Brazil, in Sumaré and Porto Alegre, investments aimed at developing the mining unit in Serra do Salitre and the announcement at the beginning of this year of a major investment in the company's industrial complex in Rio Grande.

Visit the Yara Brazil website (in Portuguese).