Feronia Inc. Announces Closing of Restructuring Transaction

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Feronia Inc. (“Feronia” or the “Company”) (TSX-V: FRN) announces that it has closed its previously announced third party sale and restructuring transaction.

As previously reported, the Company initiated debtor in possession insolvency proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada)(the “BIA”) on July 23, 2020 (the “NOI Proceedings”). Pursuant to an Order of the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Bankruptcy and Insolvency dated September 3, 2020, the transaction was completed pursuant to the terms of a definitive purchase agreement with Straight KKM 2 Limited, which provided for the acquisition by Feronia KNM of substantially all of the Company’s assets, including its direct and indirect equity interests in its operating subsidiary, Plantations et Huileries du Congo.

The key terms of the transaction are set forth in the press release of the Company issued on July 20, 2020, as updated in its press release dated September 10, 2020.

Following completion of the sale transaction, and the expiry of the NOI Proceedings, the Company was declared bankrupt pursuant to the BIA.

As Feronia will not meet the continued listing requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") following completion of the transaction, Feronia intends to have its common shares voluntarily delisted from the TSXV and expects to apply to Canadian securities regulators to cease to be a reporting issuer following closing.

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About Feronia Inc.

• Feronia is an agribusiness operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
• At the heart of Feronia lies a long established palm oil business, PHC, which has three remotely located plantations; Lokutu, Yaligimba and Boteka.
• When Feronia acquired its palm oil business from Unilever in 2009, it had suffered from years of underinvestment and considerable disruption caused by conflict in the DRC. Our initial focus has been on rebuilding the business and resuming production to secure PHC’s future and the livelihoods of the thousands of people it employs.
• Feronia’s plantations produce crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO). CPO is part of the staple and traditional diet of the Congolese and, with our products sold locally in the DRC, we are well placed to help decrease reliance on imports and increase food security and quality.
• Feronia prides itself on being the guardian of its 109 year-old palm oil business and its employees, communities, and environment. We have a long term commitment to improve the living and working environment of our employees and their communities and are committed to sustainable agriculture, environmental protection and community inclusion. Feronia has in place Environmental and Social Management which is focused on implementing environmental and social best practice and improving social infrastructure.
• Feronia is working towards certification by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and is implementing IFC/World Bank standards for environmental and social sustainability. Our oil palm replanting programme is brownfield in nature – replacing old palms with new – and it has no reliance on deforestation.
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Cautionary Notes

Except for statements of historical fact contained herein, the information in this press release constitutes “forward-looking information” within the meaning of Canadian securities law. Such forward-looking information may be identified by words such as “anticipates”, “plans”, “proposes”, “estimates”, “intends”, “expects”, “believes”, “may” and “will”. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate; actual results and future events could differ materially from such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others: risks related to foreign operations (including various political, economic and other risks and uncertainties), the interpretation and implementation of the “Loi Portant Principes Fondamentaux Relatifs A L’Agriculture”, termination or non-renewal of concession rights or expropriation of property rights, political instability and bureaucracy, limited operating history, lack of profitability, lack of infrastructure in the DRC, high inflation rates, limited availability of debt financing in the DRC, fluctuations in currency exchange rates, competition from other businesses, reliance on various factors (including local labour, importation of machinery and other key items and business relationships), the Company’s reliance on two major customers, lower productivity at the Company’s plantations, risks related to the agricultural industry (including adverse weather conditions, shifting weather patterns, and crop failure due to infestations), a shift in commodity trends and demands, vulnerability to fluctuations in the world market, the lack of availability of qualified management personnel and stock market volatility. Details of the risk factors relating to Feronia and its business are discussed under the heading “Risks and Uncertainties” in Feronia’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2019, a copy of which is available on the Company’s SEDAR profile at . Most of these factors are outside the control of the Company. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as otherwise required by applicable securities statutes or regulation, the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.