In another fertiliser-fuelled deal, Hong Kong-listed Century Sunshine Group has acquired Gold Strategy Investments for $47m, primarily for its serpentine mining operations in China. Serpentine - a magnesium-rich mineral - is benefiting from a wider shift towards magnesium-based fertilisers, and from more generalised interest in the sector since BHP’s bid for Potash.
As competition intensifies in China’s fertiliser space, and the government drives consolidation, companies like Century Sunshine must go upstream to reduce costs and diversify their product portfolios. This deal should help.
A wider industry trend towards acquiring upstream assets - i.e. actual mines - coincides with a move towards a different kind of fertiliser: low phosphorus.