Archer Daniels Midland Company Opens Fertilizer Plant in Villeta, Paraguay

Facility creates jobs, supports company’s growth strategy

DECATUR, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) today officially opened its fertilizer blending plant in Villeta, Paraguay – the first large-scale facility of its kind in the nation, with a daily production capacity of 2,500 metric tons. ADM has approximately 80 employees at the facility and utilizes an extensive contractor workforce.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting event featured remarks from the Honorable President of the Republic of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, and from ADM Chairman, CEO and President Patricia A. Woertz.

“ADM connects the harvest to the home and serves vital needs for food and energy,” said Woertz. “So as global population continues to grow, and with it demands for food and energy, we seek growth to continue serving these vital needs. With Paraguay growing its agricultural sector and increasing its role as a food producing and exporting country, this new facility symbolizes a shared future of agricultural growth and success.”

The fertilizer plant in Villeta is part of ADM’s strategy to expand the reach of its core model in key geographic regions around the world.

“This plant is ADM’s latest addition to our operations in Paraguay, and we are pleased to share this moment with our colleagues, our community and our nation’s leaders,” said John Grossmann, president, ADM Paraguay. “In 2012, the Villeta fertilizer facility will be joined by an adjacent soybean processing facility with a daily crush capacity of 3,300 metric tons. This fertilizer facility and the forthcoming soybean processing facility will create hundreds of additional, permanent jobs for the area, benefiting the entire community.”

In addition to generating jobs through processing facilities, ADM is investing in projects in Paraguay that support sustainable agriculture and improve the livelihoods of farmers and their families.

To provide technological support for small family farms and help diversify the income of nearly 250 producers, ADM is partnering with Moises Bertoni Foundation, Oro Verde Stevia Company and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on stevia sweetener production facilities in the San Pedro area and the Alto Paraná region.

Naviera Chaco, a subsidiary of ADM, also invests in the people of Paraguay by providing training in river navigation and leadership development to prepare the nation’s residents for jobs in a variety of industries. To date, 70 people have completed the training program, and more than 40 have been hired.

About ADM Paraguay

ADM began operations in Paraguay in 1997. Today, ADM has approximately 1,000 employees in Paraguay and processes about 30 percent of the country’s output of grain and oilseeds.

ADM operates crop origination, processing and transportation facilities throughout Paraguay, including a fertilizer blending plant, 32 elevators, 14 tugboats and 200 barges. ADM also owns one port facility and leases three additional port facilities.

To process Paraguay’s growing soybean production, in 2010, ADM began constructing a soybean crushing facility next to the company’s Villeta fertilizer blending plant that will produce protein meal for animal feed, as well as vegetable oil. The new plant will increase local crop-origination and export capacity and is expected to open in 2012.

ADM values community involvement and supports sustainable agriculture in Paraguay. Through company contributions and employee volunteer efforts, we support police and fire departments, forestry projects, literacy programs and educational efforts focused on agronomy, grain trading, basic mechanics and electrical skills.

About ADM

Every day, the 29,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a growing world. At more than 240 processing plants, we convert corn, oilseeds, wheat and cocoa into products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy uses. We operate the world’s premier crop origination and transportation network, connecting crops and markets in more than 60 countries. Our global headquarters is in Decatur, Illinois, and our net sales for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010, were $62 billion. For more information about our Company and our products, visit www.adm.com.

ADM
Media Relations, 217-424-5413
media@adm.com