CRP Ceres Global Ag Corp

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Feb. 22, 2023 /CNW/ - Ceres Global Ag Corp. (TSX: CRP) ("Ceres" or the "Corporation") has announced that it has completed the sale of its Port Colborne facility in Ontario to London Agricultural Commodities ("LAC") on February 17, 2023, for gross proceeds of USD $4.0 million. All former Ceres employees at the terminal will transition to LAC. 

"The sale of the Port Colborne facility further enhances Ceres' strategic partnership with London Agricultural Commodities and aligns with our long-term strategy of optimizing our footprint around our core products and the locations where we operate," said Carlos Paz, CEO of Ceres.

"Supporting the farming sector in Ontario has always been a priority for LAC," added Richard Smibert, President of London Agricultural Commodities Inc for LAC. "This strategic move to take ownership of a facility we have previously leased further demonstrates our commitment to the industry and exercises our ability to efficiently plan for more internationally bound cargo shipments."

Ceres plans to use the proceeds from the sale to execute against its broader strategy to increase core product farmer-direct origination from key growing regions while optimizing capital structure by paying down term debt.

Ceres and its subsidiaries add value across agricultural, energy and industrial supply chains through efficient sourcing, storing, transporting and marketing of high–quality agricultural commodities, value– added products and raw materials. Leveraging its network of commodity logistics centers and team of industry experts, Ceres connects farmers to customers around the world.

Ceres is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and together with its affiliated companies, operates 11 locations across Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Minnesota. These facilities have an aggregate grain and oilseed storage capacity of approximately 29 million bushels.

Ceres has a 50% interest in Savage Riverport, LLC (a joint venture with Consolidated Grain and Barge Co.), a 50% interest in Berthold Farmers Elevator, LLC (a joint venture with The Berthold Farmers Elevator Company), a 50% interest in Farmers Grain, LLC (a joint venture with Farmer's Cooperative Grain and Seed Association), a 50% interest in Gateway Energy Terminal (an unincorporated joint venture with Steel Reef Infrastructure Corp.), a 25% interest in Stewart Southern Railway Inc. (a short–line railway located in southeast Saskatchewan with a range of 130 kilometers), and a 17% interest in Canterra Seed Holdings Ltd. (a Canada–based seed development company).

For more information about Ceres, please visit www.ceresglobalagcorp.com

Cautionary Notice: This news release contains "forward–looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and United States securities laws. Forward–looking information may include, but is not limited to, statements regarding future operations and results, anticipated business prospects and financial performance of Ceres and its subsidiaries, including the plans, costs, timing and capital for the further development of the Northgate Commodities Logistics Centre, expectations or projections about the future, strategies and goals for growth, expected and future cash flows, costs, planned capital expenditures, the amount of expected write-downs, regulatory change, general economic political and market conditions anticipated capital projects, construction and completion dates, operating and financial results, critical accounting estimates, the expected financial and operational consequences of future commitments. Generally, forward–looking information can be identified by the use of forward–looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "believes", "may have implications" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will be taken", "occur", or "be achieved". Forward–looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward–looking information. Key assumptions upon which such forward–looking information is based are listed in the "Forward–Looking Information" section of the MD&A for the period ended December 31, 2022. Many such assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Ceres and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward–looking information include, among others, risks related to weather, politics and governments, changes in environmental and other laws and regulations, competitive factors in agricultural, food processing and feed sectors, construction and completion of capital projects, labour, equipment and material costs, access to capital markets, interest and currency exchange rates, technological developments, global and local economic conditions, the ability of Ceres to successfully implement strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, the operating performance of the Corporation's assets, the availability and price of commodities and regulatory environment, processes and decisions. Although Ceres has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward–looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results that are not anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward–looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Ceres undertakes no obligation to update forward– looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward–looking information.

SOURCE Ceres Global Ag Corp.