Yara has today (Wednesday, December 13) announced that it is acquiring the organic-based fertiliser business of Italian company, Agribios Italiana.
Agribios has a broad portfolio of organic-based fertilisers produced using animal and agricultural by-products which can be used in both organic and conventional farming.
The company holds around 10% of the organic-based fertiliser market in Italy and produced around 60,000t of products in 2022.
This is the Norwegian fertiliser company’s second bolt-on acquisition which is part of its strategy to grow its organic offering in Europe.
Yara said that the acquisition demonstrates its “commitment to further expand its offering in this sector as a complement to its mineral fertilisers to help promote regenerative agriculture and improve soil health”.
“By combining Agribios’ expertise in high-quality organic-based fertilizers in Italy with Yara’s scale and reach in Europe, we can continue to meet the evolving needs of European farmers, regardless of their farming method,” Yara said.
Yara
Monica Andres Enriquez, executive vice-president for Europe at Yara, said the company is “thrilled to welcome Agribios to the Yara family”.
“Soil health is the foundation for resilient crop production and sustainable farming.
“This acquisition reflects our commitment to preserve and further improve soil health, helping grow a nature-positive food future.
“By expanding our existing crop nutrition portfolio in Italy, we can continue to support farmers in making every nutrient count,” she said.
Giovanni Ravagnan, chief executive of Agribios Italiana, said that the deal is a “pivotal moment” for the Italian company.
“We eagerly anticipate embarking on this new adventure, marking the beginning of another phase of development in the year of our 50th anniversary.
“The new challenge ahead is to support both organic and conventional farmers across Europe, providing them with products that enhance the quality of their crops and soils,” he said.
Yara is hoping that the aquisition of Agribios will allow it to increase sales in the organic-based fertiliser market in Italy and neighboring countries by around 30% within the next three years.
In addition to Italy, Yara already sells organic-based fertilisers in many European countries, including France, Spain and Germany as well as in the Nordic and Baltic regions.
Yara acquired Ecolan, a Finnish producer of organic-based fertilisers, in 2021.