A worker checks bottled edible oil at a COFCO Corp plant in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province. The company has agreed to purchase a 51 percent stake in Rotterdam-based grain trader Nidera BV.[Photo/China Daily]

China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp, known as COFCO and the country's largest food trader, has agreed to purchase 51 percent of Rotterdam-based grain trader Nidera BV for an undisclosed sum to further expand China's grain supply channel in South America.

Nidera, with an annual turnover of more than $17 billion, is a major player in South America's agribusiness and crop technology sectors. It has built a global presence in more than 20 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, the United Kingdom and Italy. It employs 3,800 people globally in agricultural, commercial and industrial operations.

The proposed transaction will provide Nidera with great potential for growth in the China market and also strengthen COFCO's position as a key player in the global agricultural industry through access to Nidera's global origination, trading network and its fast-growing seed business.

Yu Xubo, president of COFCO, called the deal "a win-win agreement" for both parties.

Nidera has a strong origination platform in Brazil, Argentina and Central Europe as well as a global trading network, which can further extend COFCO's global presence and create new opportunities, Yu said.

COFCO didn't disclose the transaction cost.

"COFCO is fully committed to supporting Nidera's development through its competitive edge in trading, processing, branding and distribution," Yu said.

With difficulties concerning land, water resources and temperature conditions, it is hard for China to meet the growing demand for certain agricultural products.

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