Bunge Acquires 50% Stake in Vietnamese Port Operator
Singapore — October 16, 2008 — Bunge Asia, the Asian operating arm of Bunge
Limited (NYSE: BG), today announced the acquisition of a 50% stake in the
owner/operator of Phu My Port. The investment provides Bunge with greater
opportunity to serve customers in the growing market for agricultural commodities in
Vietnam.
The transaction involves the acquisition of SSI Logistics, the French subsidiary of
France’s state-owned SSI/EMC Group. SSI Logistics owns a 50% stake in Baria
Serece, the owner/operator of Phu My Port. The port is located on the Thi Vai River,
approximately 70 km from Ho Chi Minh City and near a large number of commercial
feed mill operations. It is the only commercial dry bulk port in Vietnam capable of
receiving large, Panamax-class ships.
In 2004, Bunge secured exclusive access to the port for shipments of agricultural
commodities. Acquiring an ownership stake will enable Bunge to invest alongside its
partners to expand the operation’s capacity and traffic. Plans call for adding new
storage facilities and more efficient discharging equipment that should increase capacity
significantly in the next several years. Bunge is developing plans to construct a
soybean processing plant within the site as well.
Vietnam, with a population of 86 million and rising per capita income, is a fast growing
market for soybean meal and other agricultural commodities. Market forecasts call for
aggregate volumes of soybean meal, corn and wheat imports to increase by
approximately 10% per year over the next five years.
About Bunge
Bunge Limited (www.Bunge.com, NYSE: BG) is a leading global agribusiness and food
company founded in 1818 and headquartered in White Plains, New York. Bunge’s over
25,000 employees in over 30 countries enhance lives by improving the global
agribusiness and food production chain. The company supplies fertilizer to farmers in
South America, originates, transports and processes oilseeds, grains and other
agricultural commodities worldwide, produces food products for commercial customers
and consumers and supplies raw materials and services to the biofuels industry.
Source: Bunge Limited
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