Irish agribusiness company instructs Demarest on Brazil debut

Demarest advised Origin on the acquisition of 65% interest in Fortgreen and 20% shareholding in Ferrari Zagatto. 

Origin Enterprises plc is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and is listed on both the Irish and London stock exchanges. The company focuses on providing agri-services in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland, Romania and Ukraine. The transactions mark the entry of Origin in the Brazilian and Latin American markets.

Fortgreen manufactures fertilizer and is headquartered in Paiçandu, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. Ferrari Zagatto is also based in Paraná, and, according to the announcement by Origin, it has common shareholders with Fortgreen. Ferrari Zagatto was founded in 1988 and is a provider of agronomy services, crop inputs and crop marketing support. 

Under the terms of the deal, Origin will acquire an initial 65 per cent interest in Fortgreen for an initial cost of BRL179 million (€41.3 million), per the statement. Origin has also agreed to acquire the remaining 35 per cent of Fortgreen in the future and has an option to purchase an additional 40 per cent interest in Ferrari Zagatto in 2020. 

Partner José Setti Diaz led the teams from Demarest advising Origin. 

The buyer instructed Arthur Cox as Irish law counsel.