Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Agrium, Potash Corp. discussing merger

Agrium and Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan are in merger discussions.

Both say no deal has yet been struck, but if one does emerge, it will create one of Canada’s largest companies and a dominant force in the fertilizer markets. The stock prices of the two companies total more than $30 billion.

Potash Corp. is the world’s largest potash-mining company. Agrium has the world’s largest fertilizer retailing business.

Both are members of Canpotex, a Canadian potash exporting cartel. Mosaic is the third member.

In 2010, the Harper government nixed a deal that BHP Billiton struck to buy Potash Corp. for $6 billion US.


Now BHP is investing about $2.5 billion to build a potash mine in Saskatchewan.