03.01.08
NutraCea, Phoenix, AZ, has signed an agreement to purchase the largest rice bran oil processing facility in South America. As part of this agreement, the company has secured arrangements for the supply of raw rice bran with several local mills to initially provide 70,000 tons annually, which will be used for rice bran oil production. The purchase of this facility in Brazil allows NutraCea to immediately enter the edible oils market and have a location for distribution of its proprietary products in South America. This acquisition also provides a platform for the introduction of new, value-added products that NutraCea has been internally preparing to roll out, pending the procurement of additional amounts of bran, which this project provides a significant step toward accomplishing.