LONDON: Sirius Minerals Plc has signed a take-or-pay supply agreement with Indian Farmers Fertilisers Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) for the supply of POLY4 in India. Volumes will ramp up to one million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in year eight, with an option subject to mutual agreement of the parties to increase this to 1.25 Mtpa. [the_ad id=”31605″] IFFCO is one of the largest co-operative societies in the world with over 36,000 member cooperatives and access to over 55 million Indian farmers. Its primary business is the manufacturing and marketing of fertilizers and it is in the top 100 of India’s Fortune 500 group of companies.
India is one of the top three fertilizer markets in the world with a total nutrient consumption of around 30 Mtpa. The demand for fertilizers in India has been growing steadily due to increasing demand for food as the country’s population increases. With the need to increase productivity per hectare, multi-nutrient products like POLY4 are well suited to Indian agriculture and soils.
The agreement is for the exclusive supply and distribution of POLY4 throughout India and is on a take-or-pay basis. Volumes ramp up to 1 Mtpa in year eight of the 11 year term, with the option for an additional 250,000 tonnes per annum by mutual agreement, and pricing is based on a nutrient linked formula on a CIF India basis. IFFCO has a break clause after year eight and there is a 10-year extension option subject to mutual agreement by the two parties.
Chris Fraser, Managing Director and CEO of Sirius, comments: “We are delighted to be embarking on a long-term partnership with IFFCO, an organisation with a wide reach and a proud history in India and a substantial profile in the global fertilizer market. POLY4 can undoubtedly have a hugely positive impact on Indian agriculture, both in terms of yields and sustainability and we look forward to working with IFFCO to deliver these benefits for Indian farmers for many years to come.”