Amazon Mining Holding Plc (TSX-V symbol: “AMZ”)(“Amazon”
or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that the Company has entered
into an agreement with Agrifirma Brazil, a United Kingdom based
farmland operator and developer, to fund agronomic tests using Amazon
Mining’s proposed ThermoPotash product, derived from the Cerrado Verde
project,
Cerrado Verde is a source of potash rich rock from which Amazon plans
to produce a slow-release, non-chloride, multi-nutrient, fertilizer
product.
Agrifirma plans to test ThermoPotash in real world conditions for use
with soybeans, maize and corn. Agrifirma hopes to utilize the slow
release characteristics of ThermoPotash to provide a baseload of potash
nutrients during the conversion of scrubland and pastureland into
fertile farmland for cultivating the crops mentioned above.
Agrifirma endeavours to develop its agricultural land ecologically,
to minimize environmental impact. ThermoPotash is expected to be
suitable for organic farming not containing environmental pollutants
like conventional potash (potassium chloride), known to contaminate
groundwater. An off shoot of potassium chloride fertilizer use in Brazil
is the use of limestone by farmers to neutralize the acidity created by
the chloride left in the soil. This practice releases a large amount of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and increases the salinity of farm
soils. The nature of ThermoPotash should curtail the loss of fertilizer
to groundwater and reduce limestone needs, minimizing greenhouse gas
emissions. Agrifirma hopes to benefit from these characteristics.
About Agrifirma
Agrifirma is a modern farmland operating and development company,
formed in 2008 to buy and convert unproductive scrubland and pastureland
into high quality arable land. Currently the company controls 69,112
hectares of land in western Bahia. Brazil currently uses approximately
10% of its potential arable land, estimated at 550 million hectares
predominantly in the Cerrado region where its project is located, away
from the Amazon rainforest and one of the last major agricultural
frontiers still to be developed.
Agrifirma, boasts an impressive management, board and advisory
committee that include Donald Coxe, renowned investment strategists and
author of “The New Reality on Wall Street”; Jim Rogers author of
“Adventure Capitalist” and “Investment Biker”; Julio Bestani, CEO,
former CFO of South American agro-industrial giant Adecoagro, funded by
George Soros; Ian Watson, Chairman, former Chairman Galahad Gold; and,
Roberto Rodrigues, director, former Brazilian minister of Agriculture
(2003-2006).
About the Agreement
The memorandum of understanding between Amazon Mining and Agrifirma
governs the testing of ThermoPotash product from a proposed pilot plant
production. Under the terms of the agreement Amazon will provide
ThermoPotash to Agrifirma for use in planting soybeans, maize and corn.
Agrifirma will designate a test plot and fund all costs associated with
the testing. Argrifirma’s investments will include yield comparisons
and chemical analysis of nutrient behaviour in the soil, with special
attention to barren soils being converted for agricultural use. The
companies will jointly define the period in which the fertilizer is
employed, and the stages of study. Data from the studies will be jointly
owned by Amazon and Agrifirma to be used for development of the
product, product marketing and project financing. Agrifirma will have
pre-emptive right to the acquisition of 15% of potential ThermoPotash
production at market price for a period of 24 months, in the event of
successful commissioning of a ThermoPotash production facility by Amazon
Mining.
Other Matters
As per press release dated July 27, 2009, 630,000 options were
granted to new members of the Board of Directors as well as consultants
and staff. These options expire July 23, 2014.
About Amazon
Amazon Mining is a mineral exploration and development company
founded by Brazilians in 2005. The company is focused on the development
of Cerrado Verde project. Cerrado Verde is source of a potash rich rock
from which Amazon plans to produce a slow-release, non-chloride,
multi-nutrient, fertilizer product. Amazon Mining is a UK public company
with shares listed on the TSX Venture Exchange since November 2007.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Amazon Mining Holding Plc, Jed Richardson, Vice President of Corporate Development
For additional information please contact:
Cristiano Veloso, President & Chief Executive Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8133 7607; Fax: +44(0)20 7405 7773; Email:
cv@amazonplc.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
OR
Jed Richardson, VP Corporate Development
Tel: +1(416)866-2966; Fax: +1(416)867-9393; Email:
jed@amazonplc.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.amazonplc.com
Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements
THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR
THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
HEREIN. THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS CERTAIN “FORWARD LOOKING
STATEMENTS”, WHICH INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, STATEMENTS WITH
RESPECT TO THE FUTURE FINANCIAL OR OPERATING PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPANY,
ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND ITS PROJECTS, STATEMENTS REGARDING USE OF
PROCEEDS, EXPLORATION PROSPECTS, IDENTIFICATION OF MINERAL RESERVES,
COSTS OF AND CAPITAL FOR EXPLORATION PROJECTS, EXPLORATION EXPENDITURES,
TIMING OF FUTURE EXPLORATION AND PERMITTING, REQUIREMENTS FOR
ADDITIONAL CAPITAL, GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS OF MINING OPERATIONS,
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS, RECLAMATION EXPENSES, TITLE DISPUTES OR CLAIMS, AND
LIMITATIONS OF INSURANCE COVERAGE. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS CAN
GENERALLY BE IDENTIFIED BY THE USE OF WORDS SUCH AS “PLANS”, “EXPECTS”,
OR “DOES NOT EXPECT” OR “IS EXPECTED”, “ANTICIPATES” OR “DOES NOT
ANTICIPATE”, OR “BELIEVES”, “INTENDS”, “FORECASTS”, “BUDGET”,
“SCHEDULED”, “ESTIMATES” OR VARIATIONS OF SUCH WORDS OR PHRASES OR STATE
THAT CERTAIN ACTIONS, EVENT, OR RESULTS “MAY”, “COULD”, “WOULD”,
“MIGHT”, OR “WILL BE TAKEN”, “OCCUR” OR “BE ACHIEVED”. FORWARD LOOKING
STATEMENTS INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER
FACTORS WHICH MAY CAUSE THE ACTUAL RESULTS, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS
OF THE COMPANY TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS,
PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SAID STATEMENTS.
THERE CAN BE NO ASSURANCES THAT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WILL PROVE TO
BE ACCURATE, AS ACTUAL RESULTS AND FUTURE EVENTS COULD DIFFER
MATERIALLY FROM THOSE ANTICIPATED IN SAID STATEMENTS. ACCORDINGLY,
READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE RELIANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS.
Readers are cautioned not to rely solely on the summary of such
information contained in this release and are directed to the complete
set of drill results posted on Amazon’s website (www.amazonplc.com) and filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and any future amendments to such. Readers are also directed to the cautionary notices and disclaimers contained herein.