Citing sources in "financial circles", German newspaper Handelsblatt is reporting that Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. may have launched a bid for K+S Group for Euro 7 billion. Neither company immediately responded to inquiries.

K+S Group has announced that Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. submitted a written proposal to K+S Aktiengesellschaft for the acquisition of all shares.
  
K+S said PotashCorp has informed the board of executive directors and the supervisory board of K+S Aktiengesellschaft that PotashCorp may decide, depending on certain conditions, including a due diligence exercise, to offer to the shareholders of the company the acquisition of all outstanding shares by way of public takeover offer.  
  
K+S said it is currently assessing the available options and that the process is still ongoing.

Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry and Finance Ministry have issued a long-awaited tender for construction of an ammonia plant in southern Israel. The plant is designed to meet domestic needs and lead to the shutdown of a ammonia storage facility in Haifa.
 
Environmental Protection Minister Avi Gabai predicted that within two to three months final bids would be presented by seven companies or groups that pre-qualified for the project and that a final decision would be taken within four months on the winner. Gabai predicted that the ammonia storage facility in Haifa that is owned and operated by Haifa Chemicals would be shut down at the latest by 2018.  Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon estimated the cost of the ammonia plant at $275 million and said the tender is on the extent of government assistance for the project. Capacity for the plant is reported at 150,000 mt/y.

The Canadian Fertilizer Institute (CFI) board of directors has appointed Garth Whyte as president and CEO. He assumes leadership from Clyde Graham, who has served as acting president since Oct.  1, 2014. Graham will resume his responsibilities as senior vice president.

CFI says Whyte brings decades of industry association, advocacy, and government experience, most recently as president and CEO of Restaurants Canada. Restaurants Canada is the voice of Canada’s$72-billion foodservices industry, with more than 30,000 members including restaurants, bars, caterers and other foodservice providers. Previously, he was executive vice president at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) where he held several other positions in his 23-year career. CFIB is Canada’s largest business association, representing 109,000 owners of small-and-medium sized businesses. Whyte began his career with the Government of Saskatchewan.

"Garth brings a breadth and depth of experience to CFI at a time that Canada’s fertilizer industry is facing significant growth opportunities," said Greg Yont of Agrium Inc. and chairman of CFI’s board of directors. "Garth’s proven leadership skills, relationship-building focus and knowledge of government will elevate CFI’s existing economic, social and environmental programs, while promoting the industry to decision-makers and all Canadians."
CFI represents manufacturers, wholesale and retail distributors of nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers.

Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings LLC announced on June 19 that it will soon start construction on a new retail location in Franklin, Ky. The new site will be located at 6007 Bowling Green Road, and will replace an existing retail location in Bowling Green, Ky.

The new 32,000 square-foot site will include a 16,000 square-foot warehouse, a 1,500 ton fertilizer facility, and a 2,400 square-foot office. It is scheduled to open in early spring 2016, and will offer fertilizer, seed, crop protection chemicals, precision agriculture services, and custom application services as part of Pinnacle’s Providence Agriculture™ brand.

"We are very enthusiastic about the upcoming launch and relocation to Franklin," said Roger Toon, Providence Agriculture’s area operations manager. "Our new state-of-the-art facility on Bowling Green Road will allow us to better serve our current customers, as well as provide quality agricultural input products and award winning OptiGro® program and services to new customers."

Shea Bray will continue as location manager at the new site, and all current Bowling Green employees will relocate to the Franklin location upon completion. "My entire staff and I are excited about the move and look forward to supplying best-in-class agricultural products and services to area farmers from our brand new facility," said Bray.

Pinnacle’s retail and wholesale distribution businesses are located in 27 states. The company operates through its Sanders®, Performance Agriculture™, Providence Agriculture, AgOne Application Services™, OptiGro®, Innvictis™, Meridian™, and Altitude™ brands.

"The jobs that Pinnacle will bring to Franklin and to Simpson County are welcomed and greatly appreciated," said Ronnie Clark, mayor of Franklin. "Agriculture is extremely important to our area, and we welcome this outstanding company to our community. We greatly appreciate their investment in Franklin."

CF Industries Holdings Inc. will debottleneck the existing urea plant at its Courtright Nitrogen Complex in Sarnia, Ont., in order to upgrade ammonia into additional urea-based products. Once completed, production capacity at Courtright for urea-based products, including diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), granular urea, and urea liquor, will increase by 130,000 tons.

The debottleneck project will begin in 2015 at an estimated cost of $85 million (approximately C$105 million). Completion is anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2017 concurrent with a scheduled turnaround of the urea plant.

Shareholders of Allana Potash Corp. voted June 15 to approve the company’s sale to Israel Chemicals Ltd. The deal is expected to close on or around June 22, 2015.

One unit at Israel Chemical Ltd.’s Rotem Amfert facility in Dimona, Israel, is shut down due to damage from a fire June 10. More details were not immediately available. The company said that the production facility sustained substantial damage which is still being assessed. However, a company spokeswoman said that production resumed at all other units at the plant late yesterday. The facility produces phosphoric acid and fertilizers.