Divestitures Required In Agrium's Agri-Products Acquisition

On September 5, 2013, Canada's Competition Bureau announced that a Consent Agreement had been negotiated requiring a number of divestitures by Agrium Inc. in relation to its acquisition of the majority of Viterra Inc.'s retail agri-products businesses from Glencore International plc. A position statement accompanied the Bureau announcement. 

Under the terms of the Consent Agreement, Agrium will divest seven retail stores and nine anhydrous ammonia businesses.

By way of background, Viterra – successor to the former Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba Wheat Pool co-operatives, as well as the largest grain handler in South Australia and a significant food processor in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States - was initially sold to Glencore, but Glencore simultaneously announced side agreements to divest some Viterra assets to Agrium and Richardson International Ltd., and (later) to CF Industries. The Bureau cleared the acquisition of Viterra by Glencore in