| Type | Public, TSX Venture Exchange |
|---|---|
| Traded as | TSX-V: FRN |
| Industry | Agriculture, Agribusiness |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Headquarters | 32 Allée Verte, Mbinza Ma Campagne; C/Ngaliema, Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Key people | Ravi Sood (Chairman), William Dry, CEO |
| Products | beans, rice, oil seeds, grains , palm oil |
| Website | http://www.feronia.com |
Feronia Inc. (TSX-V: FRN) is a public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange,[1][2][3] in operation since 1911 as a large-scale commercial farmland and plantation operator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”). The Company uses modern agricultural practices to operate and develop its oil palm plantations and arable farming business division.[4] Feronia is a proponent of the immense agricultural potential of the DRC[5] for producing high-quality foodstuffs and edible oils given its ideal climate, excellent soil and highly skilled and experienced workforce.[6] Feronia’s management team is composed of senior agriculturalists with extensive experience in managing both plantations and large-scale mechanized farming operations in emerging markets. Feronia is committed to sustainable agriculture, environmental protection and providing support for local communities.
Feronia’s oil palm plantations subsidiary is PHC - fr:Plantations et huileries du Congo. Feronia PHC operates in the Équateur and Orientale Province of DRC and consists of three established plantations together with associated infrastructure.[7] The principal products of Feronia PHC are crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO). The CPO and PKO products are transported by barge to the capital city of Kinshasa where they are sold into the local markets with any surplus sold to international markets. The local DRC market currently consists of two refining factories located in Kinshasa which purchase 100% of PHC's production. The refined products which are produced by these factories are sold into the local market in a variety of forms.
Commencing operations in 1911 as Huileries du Congo Belge (HCB), later fr:Plantations Lever au Congo, Plantations Lever au Zaire, and ultimately fr:Plantations et huileries du Congo[8] the plantations have been in continuous operation since this time. The operation was started as a division of Unilever and for many years was a key operating subsidiary of the multinational. It later formed the nucleus of the United Africa Company which ultimately came under the control of Unilever. The United Africa Company was the principal supplier to the United Kingdom of several key commodities including palm oil, ground nuts, and cocoa. Each of the plantations are located either adjacent to, or in close proximity to the Congo River.[9] Feronia PHC currently employs approximately 4,000 people making it one of the largest private sector employers in Central Africa.