News - Centurion creates division called Optamagro Argentina 2018-10-18 06:13 ET - News Release
Mr. David Tafel reports
CENTURION FORMS AGRI-LAND OPTIMIZATION DIVISION
Centurion Minerals Ltd. has created, with its operating partner (Demetra Fertilizantes SA), a new division called Optamagro Argentina that will focus on acquiring and revitalizing underutilized agricultural land. The targeted (distressed) land has been subjected to severe weather (flooding and drought) recently and the subsequent effects have resulted in high levels of soil compaction and salination. Approximately 10 million hectares of agricultural land in Argentina have been adversely affected by adverse weather patterns in the last 2 years and Optamagro, in partnership with a local agronomy group, intends to revitalize a portion of this distressed land.
Several local opportunities are being negotiated that include land ownership and fee for service contracting wherein Optamagro will implement the agricultural land optimization services and participate in profit-sharing arrangements. Optamagro will provide contracted services that include procuring and applying agri-gypsum (from its Ana Sofia agri-gypsum facility), as well as organic minerals and seeds. Upon revitalization, the partners intend to sell, or lease the revitalized land packages at a premium.
Optamagro integrates Centurion's current agri-gypsum operations with cutting edge satellite imagery and on the ground soil testing that results in a revitalization of previously under-producing agricultural land. Optamagro will seek to maximize income from both tillable and non-tillable land wherever possible given the unique characteristics of each land package.
ABOUT THE ANA SOFIA PROJECT
The Project includes an agri-gypsum mine and complete processing facility having a current design capacity of 4,000 tonnes/month. Gypsum is extracted from near-surface, flat-lying beds within the sedimentary formation that extends throughout the Ana Sofia Property, located in Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina. The gypsum rock is fed into primary and secondary crushers, then screened and sorted into two agri-gypsum fertilizer products. The plant is designed to produce a pellet-sized granular product and a fine powder product (comprised of a minimum 85% gypsum content) that are each packaged into one tonne tote bags. Agricultural gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) is a valuable plant nutrient and plays a vital role in maintaining soil structure and nutrient balance in South American soils, resulting in crop yield enhancement. The Project comprises two mining concessions totalling 50 hectares (ha) in size within a larger (approximately 600 ha) exploration permit area. The Project is well situated within a region where other small producers are currently extracting
agricultural gypsum and selling to fertilizer distributors and farmers.
ABOUT CENTURION
Centurion Minerals Ltd. is a Canadian-based company with an international focus on the development of agri-mineral fertilizer projects. For additional information on the Ana Sofia project and applications of agri-gypsum, visit our website:
www.centurionminerals.com