MOSCOW — Cargill has acquired a minority shareholding in a deep sea port terminal in Novorossiysk on the Black Sea in Russia. The investment includes a 25% plus one share indirect interest from DeloPorts Ltd. in its subsidiary, OAO “Kombinat”Stroykomplekt” (KSK).

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with DeloPorts Ltd.,” said Andreas Rickmers, head of Cargill’s grain and oilseeds operations in Europe. “This strategic investment is in line with our intention to grow our operations in Russia. It is our first investment in a Russian port on the Black Sea and will strengthen our offering to the market, providing a channel to connect our Russian grain operations to the rest of the world.

“Securing this vital step in their supply chain will also benefit Russian farmers, providing them with reliable access to global markets for their crops. It forms part of our growing focus to offer our farmer customers a range of services, advice and financial tools.”

The KSK facility has the capacity to handle 3.5 million tonnes of grain per year. Cargill said it plans to use a portion of the volume capacity and the remaining volume will be available in the market. Cargill also will continue to use various port facilities throughout the Black Sea region to serve its customers around the world.

The investment comes just a few months after Cargill announced it has begun building a new sunflower oil crush plant in the Volgograd region of southern Russia. The port will add to Cargill’s global network of grain and port facilities, including a joint venture in the Romanian port of Constantza on the Black Sea. It also will allow the company to better leverage its global operations.