TORONTO, June 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Feronia Inc. (“Feronia” or the “Company”) (TSX-V:FRN) is pleased to
announce that it has refinanced its existing ESG loan facility (the “ESG Loan”) in the aggregate amount, including principal and
accrued interest, of US$5,141,182. The ESG Loan was first provided to the Company in November 2013 by CDC Group PLC (“CDC”), as
lender, to support the implementation of an environmental and social action plan designed to strengthen the Company’s environmental
and social standards and to enhance community facilities.
The Company and CDC have entered into a new loan facility in the principal amount of US$5,141,182 (the “New Loan
Facility”). The principal amount of the New Loan Facility bears interest at 12% per annum and is convertible into common shares in
the capital of the Corporation (“Common Shares”) at a conversion price of $0.275 per Common Share. The proceeds from the New Loan
Facility were used to repay all obligations of the Company under the existing ESG Loan. The Common Shares issuable upon the
conversion of the New Loan Facility are subject to a statutory four month and a day hold period from the date of the New Loan
Facility in accordance with applicable securities legislation. The execution of the New Loan Facility and the issuance of the
underlying Common Shares are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.
The execution of the New Loan Facility constitutes a related party transaction under Multilateral Instrument
61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (“MI 61-101”). The Corporation has relied on
valuation and minority approval exemptions set forth in MI 61-101.
For further information please contact:
About Feronia Inc.
- Feronia is an agribusiness operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
- At the heart of Feronia lies a long established palm oil business, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), which has
three remotely located plantations; Lokutu, Yaligimba and Boteka.
- When Feronia acquired its palm oil business from Unilever in 2009, it had suffered from years of underinvestment and
considerable disruption caused by conflict in the DRC. Our initial focus has been on rebuilding the business and resuming
production to secure its future and the livelihoods of the thousands of people we directly employ.
- Feronia’s plantations produce crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO). CPO is part of the staple and traditional
diet of the Congolese and, with our products sold locally in the DRC, we are well placed to help decrease reliance on imports and
increase food security and quality.
- Feronia prides itself on being the guardian of our 107 year-old palm oil business and its employees, communities, and
environment. We have a long term commitment to improve the living and working environment of our employees and their communities
and are committed to sustainable agriculture, environmental protection and community inclusion. Feronia has in place an
Environmental and Social Action Plan which is focused on implementing environmental and social best practice and improving social
infrastructure.
- Feronia is working towards certification by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and is implementing IFC/World
Bank standards for environmental and social sustainability. Our oil palm replanting programme is brownfield in nature – replacing
old palms with new – and it has no reliance on deforestation.
- Feronia’s management team has extensive experience in managing both plantations and farming operations in emerging
markets.
-
For more information please see www.feronia.com
Cautionary Notes
Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release constitutes
“forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by
words such as “anticipates”, “plans”, “proposes”, “estimates”, “intends”, “expects”, “believes”, “may” and “will”. There can be no
assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such
statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others: risks related to foreign operations
(including various political, economic and other risks and uncertainties), the interpretation and implementation of the “Loi
Portant Principes Fondamentaux Relatifs A L’Agriculture”, termination or non-renewal of concession rights or expropriation of
property rights, political instability and bureaucracy, limited operating history, lack of profitability, lack of infrastructure in
the DRC, high inflation rates, limited availability of debt financing in the DRC, fluctuations in currency exchange rates,
competition from other businesses, reliance on various factors (including local labour, importation of machinery and other key
items and business relationships), the Company’s reliance on two major customers, lower productivity at the Company’s plantations
and arable farming operations, risks related to the agricultural industry (including adverse weather conditions, shifting weather
patterns, and crop failure due to infestations), a shift in commodity trends and demands, vulnerability to fluctuations in the
world market, the lack of availability of qualified management personnel and stock market volatility.
Details of the risk factors relating to Feronia and its business are discussed under the heading “Risks and
Uncertainties” in Feronia’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2017, a copy of which is available
on the Company’s SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are
cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes
or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.