Verde AgriTech Ltd (TSX: “
NPK”)
("OTCMKTS: "
VNPKF") (“
Verde” or
the “
Company”) informs that roadworks it was
performing for increased truck accessibility to and from its second
plant (“
Plant 2”)1 incurred unforeseen groundwater
issues. The solution is already engineered and being implemented.
As a consequence, over the next 4 to 8 weeks, limited delivery of
Plant 2's production will be possible, with an impact to the
Company’s 2022 results.
Plant 2 is ramping up production to 1.2 million
tonnes per year (“Mtpy”) of Verde’s multinutrient
potassium product, K Forte®, sold internationally as Super
Greensand® (the “Product”). As part of Plant 2’s
logistics, the Company has been upgrading road infrastructure,
including 22 kms of roads, 14 kms of asphalting, and the
construction of a new bridge. At its peak, the Company employed 350
people in the construction works of Plant 2 and correlated
infrastructure, currently 125 people are working on the road
foundation to overcome the groundwater issues.
The unforeseen groundwater, which placed in risk
structural stability, was detected in two critical points of the
road. The preceding geotechnical drilling had not uncovered the
risk areas and palliative groundworks proved insufficient to
adequately remediate the situation. The revamped foundation work
will delay the road’s operability. Therefore, the renewed road will
only support Plant 2’s output in Q4 2022.
2022 GUIDANCE
Brazilian agricultural seasonality sees peak
demand for Product in Q3 and early Q4. Plant 1 is operating at
capacity to meet that demand but Plant 2’s delayed output will miss
most of the 2022 season’s peak demand, thereby negatively impacting
the Company’s full year volume. Verde is still in line to meet its
original 2022 Guidance,2 as revised below for Q3 and Q4 in
comparison with the realized results for Q1 and Q2 2022:
Period |
Q1 2022 |
Q2 2022 |
Q3 2022 |
Q4 2022 |
FY 2022 |
Guidance |
OriginalJan 2022 |
Achievedin Q1 2022 |
OriginalJan 2022 |
Achievedin Q2 2022 |
OriginalJan 2022 |
RevisedSep2022 |
OriginalJan 2022 |
RevisedSep2022 |
OriginalJan 2022 |
RevisedSep2022 |
EPS (C$) |
0.02 |
0.06 |
0.18 |
0.19 |
0.25 |
0.12 |
0.06 |
0.13 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
EBITDA (C$’000)3 |
1,358 |
3,678 |
10,155 |
10,765 |
13,414 |
8,040 |
3,506 |
8,808 |
28,433 |
31,291 |
Revenue (C$’000) |
10,070 |
11,304 |
21,954 |
24,861 |
27,228 |
24,691 |
13,011 |
25,762 |
72,263 |
86,618 |
Sales target (tonnes) |
115,000 |
111,667 |
200,000 |
202,255 |
250,000 |
188,000 |
135,000 |
198,078 |
700,000 |
700,000 |
Following the lower than expected deliveries
from Plant 2 because of logistical issues during Q3 2022, the
original 2022 annual Guidance is expected to be achieved thanks to
Plant 1’s continued operation at capacity and Plant 2’s successful
commissioning and dispatch of Product within the next 4 to 8
weeks.
Client’s demand for Product continues to
outstrip current delivery capacity. The Company is offering
discounts for Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 delivery, in order to maximise
Plant 2 output in those seasonally weak months, as well as to
generate more market penetration.
For 2023, Verde’s sales volume target remains
unchanged at a minimum of 2 Mtpy tonnes of Product. Construction of
Plant 3, which is expected to add a further 10 Mtpy of Product, is
pending government permits and is therefore expected to begin
construction in 2024.
PLANT 1 AND 2 CAPACITY EXPANSION
Over the years, Verde has optimized processing
routes and machinery calibration. Therefore, in light of such
experience, both Plants 1 and 2 are being re-assessed to determine
how equipment and process optimization will enable increased
production volumes beyond their current nominal capacities. To
implement the potential upgrades, Verde will apply for relevant
government licences for total Plant 1 and 2 capacity exceeding 2.8
Mtpy.
PAID FOR GROWTH
Paid for Growth (“P4G”)
strategy, a cornerstone program aimed at distributing gains to
shareholders either through share buyback or dividends,4 will be
withheld for 2022 in order to ensure Verde’s continued accelerated
expansion, including Plant 2 and Plant 3, without issuance of new
shareholder-diluting equity. P4G is expected to distribute Verde’s
first gains to shareholders in 2023.
“While it is disappointing to face a delay at
the very end of what has otherwise been a ‘non-equity
financed’ construction of Plant 2, we are pleased by the overall
pace and safety of the endeavour. Supported by the growing demand
from current and new clients, at Verde we look forward to a future
of sustainable and steadily expanding production. In that spirit,
we celebrate our Plant 2’s commissioning and our 2022 outlook for
over 70% year-on-year growth of production. We hold our heads high
and look forward to advance the P4G strategy and lead our market
segment in Brazil in the near future,” commented Verde’s Founder,
President & CEO, Cristiano Veloso.
BOARD REVISION
Verde is concluding a renewal of its Board of
Directors to better meet the threshold set by certain shareholder
advisory firms, which have deemed part of its Board as
‘non-independent directors’ either because the directors hold too
many shares in the Company or the directors have held extensive
tenures. Therefore, the following directors will gracefully step
down: Mr. Getúlio Fonseca, Mr. Paulo Sérgio Ribeiro and Mr. Michael
St Aldwyn, who have served on the board of Verde over a combined 24
years.
Mr. Fonseca was appointed to the Board in 2007
and was a contributing member of the Audit Committee and the
Chairman of the Compensation Committee.
Mr. Ribeiro was appointed to the Board in 2017
and was a contributing member of the Corporate Governance &
Nominating Committee.
Mr. St Aldwyn was appointed to the Board in 2018
and was a contributing member of the Audit Committee, and
Compensation Committee, also serving as the Chairman of the
Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee, and as Lead
Independent Director.
"We would like to thank Getúlio Fonseca, Paulo
Sérgio Ribeiro and Michael St Aldwyn for their many years of
service and contribution to Verde’s growth. Their experience and
inputs were invaluable to the Company, for which I thank them on
behalf of Verde’s team, our shareholders and stakeholders,"
commented Mr. Veloso.
The Company will seize the opportunity to
enhance Board diversity and, in light of Verde’s recent move to
Singapore,5 to comply with local regulations that mandate that at
least one board member needs to be a Singaporean resident. The
Board changes are expected to be concluded and announced in the
following weeks, without material impact to Verde’s ongoing
expansionary strategies.
ABOUT VERDE AGRITECH
Verde is an agricultural technology company that produces potash
fertilizers. Our purpose is to improve the health of all people and
the planet. Rooting our solutions in nature, we make agriculture
healthier, more productive, and profitable.
Verde is a fully integrated company, from the mining and
processing its main feedstock from its 100% owned mineral
properties, to the Product sales processes, which also include
direct technical advice for farmers, and distribution.
Verde’s focus on research and development has resulted in one
patent and eight patents pending. Among its proprietary
technologies are Cambridge Tech, 3D Alliance, MicroS Technology, N
Keeper, and Bio Revolution.6 Currently, the Company is fully
licensed to produce up to 2.8 million tonnes per year of its
multinutrient potassium fertilizers K Forte® and BAKS®, sold
internationally as Super Greensand®.7 By the end of 2022, it plans
to become Brazil's largest potash producer by capacity.8 Verde has
a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of 1.47 billion
tonnes at 9.28% K2O and an inferred mineral resource of 1.85
billion tonnes at 8.60% K2O (using a 7.5% K2O cut-off grade).9 This
amounts to 295.70 million tonnes of potash in K2O. For context, in
2021 Brazil’s total consumption of potash in K2O was 7.92
million.10
Brazil ranks second in global potash demand and is its single
largest importer, currently depending on external sources for over
96% of its potash needs. In 2021, potash accounted for
approximately 2% of all Brazilian imports by dollar value.
CORPORATE PRESENTATION
For further information on the Company, please view
shareholders’ deck:
https://verde.docsend.com/view/7ifqptdkh55cutpk
INVESTOR NEWSLETTER
Subscribe to receive the Company’s updates at:
http://cloud.marketing.verde.ag/InvestorsSubscription
The last edition of the newsletter can be accessed at:
https://bit.ly/InvestorsNewsletter-July2022
CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE AND FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
All Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resources
estimates reported by the Company were estimated in accordance with
the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute
of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards (May 10,
2014). These standards differ significantly from the requirements
of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral Resources
which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic
viability.
This document contains "forward-looking
information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation
and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United
States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This
information and these statements, referred to herein as
"forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this
document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or
future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions,
expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but
are not limited to, statements with respect to:
(i) the estimated amount and grade of
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves;
(ii) the PFS representing a viable
development option for the Project;
(iii) estimates of the capital costs of
constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production,
of sustaining capital and the duration of financing payback
periods;
(iv) the estimated amount of future
production, both produced and sold;
(v) timing of disclosure for the PFS and
recommendations from the Special Committee;
(vi) the Company’s competitive position in
Brazil and demand for potash; and,
(vii) estimates of operating costs and
total costs, net cash flow, net present value and economic returns
from an operating mine.
Any statements that express or involve
discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs,
plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance
(often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects",
"anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages",
"assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or
variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or
results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur
or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar
expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be
forward-looking statements.
All forward-looking statements are based on
Verde's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various
assumptions made by them and information currently available to
them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but
generally these assumptions include, but are not limited to:
(i) the presence of and continuity of
resources and reserves at the Project at estimated grades;
(ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical
characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; including
the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be
diverted or treated during mining operations;
(iii) the capacities and durability of
various machinery and equipment;
(iv) the availability of personnel,
machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within the
estimated delivery times;
(v) currency exchange rates;
(vi) Super Greensand® and K Forte® sales
prices, market size and exchange rate assumed;
(vii) appropriate discount rates applied
to the cash flows in the economic analysis;
(viii) tax rates and royalty rates
applicable to the proposed mining operation;
(ix) the availability of acceptable
financing under assumed structure and costs;
(x) anticipated mining losses and
dilution;
(xi) reasonable contingency
requirements;
(xii) success in realizing proposed
operations;
(xiii) receipt of permits and other
regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and
(xiv) the fulfilment of environmental
assessment commitments and arrangements with local communities.
Although management considers these assumptions
to be reasonable based on information currently available to it,
they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are
made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements,
such as statements of net present value and internal rates of
return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking
statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also
prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs
will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable
over the relevant period.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements
involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and
specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections
and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that
assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers
not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as
a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to
differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives,
expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions
expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors
may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and
estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but
specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to
variations in the mineral content within the material identified as
Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted;
variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical
characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure
is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that
will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being
different from what is expected to be encountered during mining
operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being
different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to
fluctuations in the Brazilian Real relative to the Canadian dollar;
increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or
unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work
force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms
of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being
greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to
changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in
project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating
to receipt of regulatory approvals; delays in stakeholder
negotiations; changes in regulations applying to the development,
operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently
exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Verde
operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional
risks described in Verde's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR
in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December
31, 2021. Verde cautions that the foregoing list of factors that
may affect future results is not exhaustive.
When relying on our forward-looking statements
to make decisions with respect to Verde, investors and others
should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other
uncertainties and potential events. Verde does not undertake to
update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that
may be made from time to time by Verde or on our behalf, except as
required by law.
For additional information please
contact:
Cristiano Veloso, Founder,
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +55 (31) 3245 0205; Email:
investor@verde.ag
www.investor.verde.ag | www.supergreensand.com |
www.verde.ag
_____________1 See press release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verde-announces-commissioning-of-its-plant-2/
2 See press release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verde-announces-2022-guidance-and-two-year-outlook/
3 Before non-cash events.4 See press release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verde-announces-plans-for-first-distribution-of-gains-and-restructure/5
See release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verde-announces-completion-of-redomiciliation-process-to-singapore/6
Learn more about our technologies:
https://verde.docsend.com/view/yvthnpuv8jx6g4r97 See the release
at:
https://investor.verde.ag/2-5-million-tonnes-per-year-potash-mining-concession-granted-to-verde/8
See the release at:
https://investor.verde.ag/verde-to-reach-3-million-tonnes-potash-production-capacity-in-2022/9
As per the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for
Mineral Projects within Canada (“NI 43 -101”), filed on SEDAR in
2017. See the Pre-Feasibility Study at:
https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf10
Union of the Agricultural Fertilizers and Correctives Industry, in
the State of São Paulo (“SIACESP”, from Sindicato da Indústria
de Fertilizantes e Corretivos Agropecuários, no Estado de São
Paulo).
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