Arden Hills, Minn.-Land O’Lakes Inc.’s crop input business, Winfield Solutions LLC, reported $144.8 million in pretax earnings for the year ending Dec. 31, 2010, compared to the prior year’s $136.8 million. Crop input sales for 2010 were $3.7 billion versus the prior year’s $3.3 billion, despite overall devaluation in the category. LOL said volumes were strong across the board, with an increase in crop protection products as well as nearly all seed categories. Company-wide, LOL posted its second-best annual earnings and sales figures. Net earnings attributable to shareholders were $178.1 million on sales of $11.1 billion, compared to 2009’s $209.1 million on sales of $10.4 billion. LOL did report a record high return of $125 million to members. “The economic downturn has created financial stress for many of our members,” said Chris Policinski, LOL president and CEO. “So it’s particularly important that we maintained strong performance and delivered record-high returns. This reflects our commitment to serve our members by delivering substantial value.” LOL said in 2010 it improved its market position in key segments, including crop protection, seed, feed, milk replacers, and some food products. Fourth-quarter LOL earnings were ahead of year-ago levels. They were $74.6 million on sales of $2.8 billion, versus the year-ago $49.3 million on sales of $2.5 billion.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain