Agrium Announces Outage at Vanscoy Potash Mine

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Jul 31, 2014) - Agrium Inc. (TSX:AGU) (NYSE:AGU) confirmed today that its Vanscoy, Saskatchewan, potash mine experienced a mechanical failure on its main hoist system. As a result, production has been shut down at this facility.

Due to the outage, Agrium will bring forward the planned turnaround to tie-in the current capacity expansion project. Production at the facility will therefore remain shut down until the tie-in is complete.

There were no injuries and we do not expect any significant impact on the workforce.

Further information regarding the outage will be provided on our second quarter conference call on August 7, 2014, at 9:30AM eastern time.

About Agrium

Agrium Inc. is a major Retail supplier of agricultural products and services in North America, South America and Australia and a leading global Wholesale producer and marketer of all three major agricultural nutrients and the premier supplier of specialty fertilizers in North America. Agrium's strategy is to provide the crop inputs and services needed to feed a growing world. We focus on maximizing shareholder returns by driving continuous improvements to our base businesses, pursuing value-added growth opportunities across the crop input value chain and returning capital to shareholders.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and other information included in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "financial outlook" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation or constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities legislation (collectively, the "forward-looking statements"). All statements in this press release other than those relating to historical information or current conditions, are forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements as to management's expectations with respect to: future crop and crop input volumes, demand, margins, prices and sales; business and financial prospects; dividends and other plans, strategies, objectives and expectations, including with respect to future operations of Agrium and proposed acquisitions and divestitures and the growth and stability of our earnings. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements.

All of the forward-looking statements are qualified by the assumptions that are stated or inherent in such forward-looking statements, including the assumptions referred to above in this news release. Although Agrium believes that these assumptions are reasonable, this list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the forward-looking statements and the reader should not place an undue reliance on these assumptions and such forward-looking statements.

Events or circumstances that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: general economic, market and business conditions, weather conditions including impacts from regional flooding and/or drought conditions; crop prices; the supply and demand and price levels for our major products; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities, including changes in government policy, government ownership requirements, changes in environmental, tax and other laws or regulations and the interpretation thereof, and political risks, including civil unrest, actions by armed groups or conflict, as well as counterparty and sovereign risk; duration and financial impact of current outage at the Vanscoy potash facility related to the mechanical failure of the main production hoisting system, timing and capital outlay of Vanscoy potash expansion project, and other risk factors detailed from time to time in Agrium reports filed with the Canadian securities regulators and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States and other risk factors detailed from time to time in Agrium reports filed with the Canadian securities regulators and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the United States.

Agrium disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable U.S. federal securities laws or applicable Canadian securities legislation.