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Non-Tech : The Brazil Board -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Threshold who wrote (632)	6/1/2012 7:26:42 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 2508

"Down there, agricultural commodities are the absolute gold rush. All the major Brazilian companies are looking for agro-minerals," Brandreth said. Eagle Star switches to agro-minerals to meet Brazil's fertilizer "gold rush" Tue 9:55 am by Joyanta Acharjee Junior explorer Eagle Star Minerals ( CVE:EGE) has changed its focus from iron ore after seeing opportunistic trends in the agro-minerals space. The company was initially focused on developing an iron ore project in Brazil but it took note of a significant lack of domestic supply of fertilizer commodities in the nation and opted to reposition itself. "We came to realize that we weren't in the most effective commodity for a junior company like ourselves," Eagle Star's Senior Corporate Development Manager Patrick Brandreth told Proactive Investors. "Down there, agricultural commodities are the absolute gold rush. All the major Brazilian companies are looking for agro-minerals," Brandreth said. Brazil is the world's fourth-largest fertilizer market and the biggest importer of fertilizer. "It became clear that the opportunity was there," Brandreth added. Helped by senior advisors and a local geological team, the company identified and staked areas with significant potential to host large phosphate deposits. Phosphates are a key ingredient for inorganic fertilizer. Eagle Star was drawn to a property in the region of Piauí state covered by the Pimenteiras Formation (Parnaiba Basin). Three sub areas of the Parnaiba Basin were identified with rock types carrying phosphate mineralization, leading the company to acquire the Ruth Project. Ruth is located in the center of Piauí state, near the cities of Picos and Eliseu Martins. Within Ruth’s claims boundaries lay widespread phosphate bearing rock types, which are believed to host a large phosphate deposit. The project is in the vicinity of a large agricultural center while also surrounded by favorable infrastructure. "Much of the reasons for leaving iron ore were very simple," Eagle Star's Brandreth said. "Agro-minerals, and specifically phosphate in our case, require significantly less capital and time to develop and put into production as compared to iron ore. It’s also any junior company’s dream to be able to prove up a resource and sell it in their backyard at international prices," Brandreth commented, referring to both Eagle Star’s close vicinity to two very large agricultural districts and their short supply of phosphate. Eagle Star's other phosphate project, Samba, is also believed to host a large phosphate deposit and is located within the central western portion of Piaui state along the Longá Formation near the cities of Valença and São José do Peixe. In addition to being close to two large agricultural centers Samba is also situated right beside the East-West Transnordestina railroad. At Samba, Brandreth said that as soon as the company gets the official exploration permits from the Brazilian National Mining Agency, it would continue a much more intrusive sampling program to assist with drill targeting and eventually outline the resource by drilling before filing paperwork towards an NI 43-101 estimate by the end of the summer. "To date we know we have a 3.5 meter package averaging 6% phosphate - we need to now find out if this package is repetitive, which we believe it is, by what we have seen on different topographic levels. It’s also important for us to determine how deep, and how wide it extends laterally by drilling.” "We have identified seven potential areas on the property. Our goal is to move one of those into a 43-101 measured and indicated category by the end of summer." "We like to think that our strong local geological team has put us one step ahead of our competition, but on the other hand there is so much of a need for agro-minerals in Brazil we really don’t look at other companies so much in a competitive way." Brandreth said.

To: Threshold who wrote (632)	6/21/2012 8:50:03 AM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2508

Rare-earth projects report abundant resources. Brazil- and Latin America-focused phosphate and fertiliser producer MBAC Fertilizer on Tuesday said it had established a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of 6.34-million tons, grading 5.01% total rare-earth oxides for the Araxá project, in Brazil. JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Brazil- and Latin America-focused phosphate and fertiliser producer MBAC Fertilizer on Tuesday said it had established a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of 6.34-million tons, grading 5.01% total rare-earth oxides for the Araxá project, in Brazil. Using a cutoff grade of 2%, the National Instrument 43-101-compliant combined resource comprises 8.4% phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and 1.02% niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5). The inferred mineral resource is estimated at 21.94-million tons at 3.99% total rare-earth oxides, 7.86% P2O5 and 0.64% Nb2O5 . Further, of the established resource, the project includes a total of about 2.4% heavy rare-earth oxides, including yttrium. TheTSX-listed company said laboratory tests for an acid-leaching process achieved an average 85% recovery to produce a high-quality rare-earth oxide bulk concentrate. “These results confirm our expectations that the Araxá deposit is a significant resource base of rare-earth oxides, with a high grade when compared with other deposits globally. “MBAC is planning to prepare a preliminary economic assessment for the project, which is expected to be released in the third quarter, and to put in place a pilot plant to confirm our laboratory estimates and high-purity rare-earth oxide concentrate,” CEO Antenor Silva said in a statement. The company added that it had already started discussions with third parties over offtake agreements. Meanwhile, Vancouver-based Elissa Resources also announced its first-pass drilling programme on its fully owned Thor project, in southern Nevada, and the discovery of discovered a possible extensive rare-earth-element-bearing alkali granite/syenite unit in the northern part of the Lopez Trend. The property is located about 23 km east of Molycorp’s Mountain Pass rare-earth mine and processing facilities in nearby California. Elissa said its exploration team intersected lengthy intervals of rare-earth element mineralisation, including 9.8 m of 1.05% total rare-earth oxide with a 1.8 m zone containing 3.28% total rare-earth oxides. About 90% of the Lopez trend and a large number of outlying rare-earth element targets on the property remain untested. “We are encouraged by these results on our Thor project and are especially pleased that the drilling has confirmed rare-earth element-mineralisation that is strongly enriched in the valuable heavy rare-earth oxides. We believe we are at the early stage of defining what could be a very large rare-earth-bearing system and are planning a second-phase programme to examine areas and test concepts discerned from our ongoing exploration,” Elissa CEO Paul McKenzie said. Elissa also owns a 100% interest in the Ulysses project located in eastern Idaho and south-western Montana, and has an option to earn a 100% interest in the St Elmo gold project, in Nevada.

To: Threshold who wrote (632)	7/19/2012 9:25:02 AM
From: elmatador	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2508

Corn price hits record high as concerns heightened over a shortage of crops amid the worst US drought in half a century. By Emiko Terazono Corn and soyabean prices surged to fresh record highs on Thursday as concerns heightened over a shortage of crops amid the worst US drought in half a century. The sharp increase in grains prices comes as a devastating drought has downgraded prospects for corn and other grains as well as soyabeans in the US. Benchmark corn futures surpassed $8 a bushel for the first time, hitting a record $8.055, while benchmark soyabeans also hit a fresh peak at $17.115. The prices of the two staple crops have surpassed the peaks of the 2007-08 food crisis, although other staples such as wheat and rice remain lower. Grains traders have been on high alert as US government data have pointed to sharply lower harvests. Meteorologists also this week confirmed the worst drought in the US for half a century. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the drought gripping the country was the worst since 1956 in terms of the areas suffering from moderate to extreme drought. The data came as the US government said in its weekly crop report that only 31 per cent of the corn crop was in “good to excellent” shape, down from 40 per cent a week earlier. For soyabean, the figure fell to 34 per cent to 40 per cent. Tom Vilsack, US agriculture secretary, on Wednesday said the drought would result in a significant increase in crop prices. “I get on my knees every day and I’m saying an extra prayer right now,” he said. “If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.” However, he rejected calls for corn to be diverted from ethanol production to alleviate the expected shortage of grains for human and animal consumption. The US Department of Agriculture highlighted the dire state of the corn crop last week, noting that “persistent and extreme” dryness and heat over the past six weeks “have substantially lowered yield prospects across most of the major growing regions”. Although temperatures are significantly cooler this week, farmers in the US Midwest are still desperate for rain. Meteorologists are forecasting higher temperatures for the central and western Midwest starting early next week, adding to the stress for late pollinating corn and pod-setting soyabeans in the dry areas. However, policy makers do not believe the world is facing a new food crisis because the global supply of wheat and rice, the two commodities most important for food security, remain relatively plentiful and prices are still below previous highs. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.

To: Threshold who wrote (632)	2/24/2013 10:29:50 AM
From: elmatador	Respond to of 2508

The global potash fertilizer industry is expected to exceed $39 billion by 2017, with a CAGR of 4.9 percent over the next five years. The fertilizer is used for crop nutrition required for plant development. It improves a plant's ability to withstand disease, increases yields, improves the quality, and lengthens the shelf life of the crops. Moderate growth for global potash industry projected February 12, 2013 The global potash fertilizer industry is expected to exceed $39 billion by 2017, with a CAGR of 4.9 percent over the next five years. The fertilizer is used for crop nutrition required for plant development. It improves a plant's ability to withstand disease, increases yields, improves the quality, and lengthens the shelf life of the crops. Lucintel, a leading global management consulting and market research firm, has conducted a competitive analysis on the trends and forecasts of the industry and presents its findings in “ Global Potash Fertilizer Industry 2012-2017: Trend, Profit and Forecast Analysis.” It is highly dependent on crop yield, farmer awareness, and availability of credit. Europe dominates the industry, representing the largest share in the global potash fertilizer industry. Lucintel's report provides a brief study of the industry’s major challenges. R&D costs continue to rise due to the increasing regulatory burden and complexity of the products. Sales of various potash fertilizers heavily depend on climatic conditions and crop variance. Global production and trade of potash fertilizer were adversely affected in 2009 as global demand declined due to the economic downturn. The report focuses on the drivers of the industry. The need for balanced fertilization to increase crop productivity and increasing demand for biofuels require massive agricultural production, which can be achieved through increased potash fertilizer application. Due to a high degree of consolidation, China and Brazil remain interested in and capable of building or buying their own potash fertilizer production as a matter of national food security. This chemical market research is intended to provide industry leaders with a competitive benchmarking of the potash fertilizer market and gives a concise view of the up-to-date information of the market share, profit margin, and strategies of the key players, their capabilities, and effective market planning against the leading competitors.

To: Threshold who wrote (632)	6/2/2013 11:52:57 PM
From: elmatador	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2508

Vale’s departure from Argentina opens door for Verde Potash Shares in the Toronto-listed company rose 12 per cent on the day of Vale’s announcement. By Samantha Pearson in São Paulo For Cristiano Veloso, Vale’s decision to abandon its potash project in Argentina was the best news he had heard in years. Since 2008 his company, Verde Potash, has been developing its own $2.3bn potassium venture in Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais. With Vale’s Rio Colorado mine out the picture, Verde Potash can look forward to an even more captive market, he says. Shares in the Toronto-listed company rose 12 per cent on the day of Vale’s announcement. Mr Veloso had been assessing various projects since founding the miner in 2005 but it was not until the global food crisis of 2007-2008 that he set his sights on potassium. The price of the mineral, one of three nutrients essential for plant growth, jumped 10-fold during the crisis – an expensive wake-up call for Brazil, which had been relying on imports for more than 90 per cent of its vast potassium needs. The country has since vowed to become self-sufficient in all fertilisers by 2020. By that point Brazil’s annual potassium consumption is expected to rise to 13m tonnes from 8m currently. Verde Potash’s mine, Cerrado Verde, will help achieve that goal – production is set to start as early as 2015 and reach 3m tonnes per year. Its location will also cut logistical costs and the amount of mineral lost to dust during transit, says Mr Veloso. However, while Cerrado Verde may not be as remote as Russia’s mines or face the political problems of Argentina, it does present technical challenges. Conventional potash deposits are relatively rare in Brazil so in the case of Verde Potash, it must extract the mineral from potassium silicate rock. After shareholders’ initial optimism in March, the company announced this month a delay in the mine’s bankable feasibility study, which could set production back by at least a year. The shares have since halved in value. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2013. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.