Louis Dreyfus Group to invest in Ghana

LOUIS DREYFUS COMMODITIES TO INVEST IN GHANA

Chairman of Louis Dreyfus Group, Mrs. Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, visited Ghana this week to meet with His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and discussed the global commodities giant¹s prospective investment in local agriculture, food processing and logistics.

The meeting held on January 30th 2013 had a positive outcome with both parties who look forward to beneficial future investments in the country. Louis Dreyfus Commodities¹ investment in a Fertilizer blender, with Finatrade Group as partner, is expected to benefit agriculture in Ghana as it has in other countries where they made similar commitments.

On her visit to Ghana, Mrs. Louis-Dreyfus was accompanied by the company¹s executive team: CEO Serge Schoen; Chairman Mehdi El Glaoui; and COO Ciro Echersortu. The meeting in Ghana will be followed by another one with the President of Cote d¹Ivoire to discuss similar investment opportunities.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities is a global merchandiser of commodities, a major asset owner and a processor of agricultural goods. With more than 160 years of experience, their portfolio has grown to include Oilseeds, Grains, Feed, Rice, Freight, Finance, Juice, Cotton, Coffee, Sugar, Metals, Dairy and Fertilizers & Inputs. Their diversified activities span the value chain where they operate from farm to fork. Dedicated to providing sustenance for our planet, the company helps to feed and clothe up to 500 million people, originating, processing and transporting approximately 70 million tons of food around the world annually. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Louis Dreyfus Commodities has a strong regional presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With over 38,000 employees at peak season, the company operates in more than 90 countries, and had an estimated US$60Billion in net sales in 2011.

Finatrade Group, Louis Dreyfus Commodities major partner in Ghana, is a leading distributor of raw and processed Agric-commodities and consumer products. Finatrade has established leadership positions in the commodities and branded food segment in its targeted markets across West Africa. Through a partnership with GADCO, Finatrade is the biggest distributor of local rice in Ghana and will launch a rice mill in the Volta Region by mid 2013.

Dreyfus CEO, Serge Schoen expressed, ³As global leader in agriculture processing and trading, we are particularly impressed by the fast and virtuous development of Ghana and are looking forward to increasing our investment in the country.²

³I believe that the increased presence of Louis Dreyfus Commodities in our country will create more jobs for Ghanaians, and increasingly contribute towards the national economy,² Mr. Moukarzel said.