The Argentine agro-industrial company, owner of brands like Las Tres Niñas and listed on the New York Stock Exchange, acquired from Raízen a plant for sugar, ethanol, and renewable energy in Mato Grosso do Sul, along with its own sugarcane and supply contracts with third parties
In an unprecedented display of business vigor, Adecoagro, the leading agro-industrial firm of Argentinian origin successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange, completed the acquisition of a sugar, ethanol, and renewable energy plant in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, for the impressive sum of USD 148 million.
This strategic operation, agreed upon with the Raízen Group (an energy giant associated with Shell), consolidates the national company as a dominant player in the region's biofuels market, integrating the Caarapó plant into its already robust industrial platform.
Caarapó Plant
The co-founder and CEO of the company, Mariano Bosch, was emphatic in stating that this acquisition “reinforces our position as one of the most efficient producers in the industry”.
Meanwhile, Renato Junqueira Pereira, vice president of the Sugar, Ethanol, and Energy business, described the outlay as “a natural extension of our industrial platform in Mato Grosso do Sul”, highlighting that the proximity to its current plants, Angélica and Ivinhema, will enhance milling through marginal investments.
Adecoagro's master move comes in a context of strong expansion in the Brazilian market, which recently raised the mandatory ethanol blend in gasoline to 32% and projects to reach a ceiling of 35%.
Meanwhile, in Argentina, a horizon of modernization is emerging thanks to the initiative led by Patricia Bullrich in the Senate, which seeks to raise the blends of bioethanol to 15% and biodiesel to 10%, in addition to enabling Flex Fuel engine technology.
This legislative proposal is key for large national agro-exporters to break free from outdated regulations and channel their immense installed capacity into the domestic market, ensuring greater efficiency and competitive prices for consumers.
The financial backing behind Adecoagro underscores international confidence in Argentine talent. Since April 2025, the majority shareholder is the Tether Group —issuer of the stable cryptocurrency USDT— which took control of 70% of the firm after an investment exceeding USD 615 million, acquiring 49,596,510 ordinary shares at a price of USD 12.41 each.
Adecoagro
The expansion of this giant does not stop at the neighboring country. Among its most recent moves are:
The total control of Profertil, the only fertilizer producer in the country with an annual production of 1.3 million tons of urea, after acquiring, along with the Argentine Cooperatives Association (ACA), the share package from the Canadian Nutrien and that of YPF.
The bid for the assets of the bankrupt SanCor, a process that includes six industrial plants and brands valued at USD 52.1 million, currently under judicial review in Rafaela.
This phenomenon of private growth occurs in an optimistic macroeconomic framework: in the first half of the year, Argentine exports, driven by agriculture and fuels, soared to nearly USD 50 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 24.4% and a trade surplus of USD 13.923 billion.
In contrast, the Raízen Group continues its withdrawal from the regional market after agreeing to sell its assets in Argentina, including the Dock Sud refinery and 894 Shell service stations, to the Swiss group Mercuria Energy for USD 1.42 billion. While some are withdrawing, the capital that believes in freedom and competition, like that of Adecoagro, is preparing to lead the new era of regional prosperity.
