Founder of Brazilian grain trader Agribrasil sells majority stake

The founder of grain trader Agribrasil, which had annual sales of about $576 million at the end of the first quarter, has agreed to sell a majority stake in the company, according to a filing on Tuesday.

The buyer is controlled by ME Solaris Commodities Holding, a company owned by Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, the filing said. The price of the deal was not disclosed because it is subject to regulatory approval.

The deal marks the latest acquisition by a Middle East investor and a global food trader to secure food security and strengthen trade links with key commodity suppliers.

“We have always been a target for strategic investors,” Frederico Humberg told Reuters by phone after signing the deal. “I have always been looking for a partner to develop the business.”

Humberg, who has 35 years of experience in grain trading, said he would continue to work for Agribrasil for the next four years as a manager or strategic adviser.

Hamberg declined to disclose the size of the stake sold, citing contractual obligations.

Reuters reported in March that Agribrasil was in talks with potential bidders, including ME Solaris.

The buyer, which is now consolidating its position in Brazil, the world’s largest producer and exporter of a variety of agricultural commodities, handles about 15 million metric tons of major crops, including wheat, annually, Hamberg said.

Agribrasil, which has remained one of the few independent grain traders in the agricultural giant, traded about 1 million tonnes of soybeans and corn for itself and third parties in the first quarter, according to financial disclosures.

The Solaris acquisition includes Agribrasil’s 51% stake in grain terminal TESC. Solaris also bought out minority shareholders in the terminal, Humberg said.

Tags: Brazil, trading, Oman, Agribrasil, Solaris