1285785--7/29/2008--MOSAIC

related topics

{cost, regulation, environmental}

{operation, natural, condition}

{condition, economic, financial}

{customer, product, revenue}

{operation, international, foreign}

{provision, law, control}

{cost, contract, operation}

{competitive, industry, competition}

{personnel, key, retain}

{cost, operation, labor}

{loss, insurance, financial}

{investment, property, distribution}

{financial, litigation, operation}

{loan, real, estate}

{stock, price, operating}

{debt, indebtedness, cash}

Our operating results are highly dependent upon and fluctuate based upon business and economic conditions and governmental policies affecting the agricultural industry where we or our customers operate. These factors are outside of our control and may significantly affect our profitability. Our most important products are global commodities, and we face intense global competition from other fertilizer producers that can affect our prices and volumes. Our crop nutrients and other products are subject to price and demand volatility resulting from periodic imbalances of supply and demand, which may cause our results of operations to fluctuate. Our crop nutrient business is seasonal, which may result in carrying significant amounts of inventory and seasonal variations in working capital, and our inability to predict future seasonal crop nutrient demand accurately may result in excess inventory or product shortages. We conduct our operations primarily through a limited number of key production and distribution facilities. Any disruption at one of these facilities could have a material adverse impact on our business. The current high rates at which these facilities are operating because of the recent increases in demand for our products increase the risk of a material disruption. Important raw materials and energy used in our businesses in the past have been and may in the future be the subject of volatile pricing. Changes in the price of our raw materials could have a material impact on our businesses. In the event of a disruption to existing transportation or terminaling facilities for raw materials, alternative transportation and terminaling facilities might not have sufficient capacity to fully serve all of our facilities. We are subject to risks associated with our international sales and operations, which could negatively affect our sales to customers in foreign countries as well as our operations and assets in foreign countries. Some of these factors may also make it less attractive to distribute cash generated by our operations outside the United States to our stockholders, or to utilize cash generated by our operations in one country to fund our operations or repayments of indebtedness in another country or to support other corporate purposes. Our international assets are located in countries with volatile conditions, which could subject us and our assets to significant risks. Adverse weather conditions, including the impact of potential hurricanes and excess rainfall, have in the past, and may, in the future, adversely affect our operations, particularly our Phosphates business, and result in increased costs, decreased production and potential liabilities. Our operations are dependent on having the required permits and approvals from governmental authorities. A decision by a government agency to deny any of our permits and approvals or to impose restrictive conditions on us with respect to these permits and approvals may impair our business and operations. We are subject to financial assurance requirements as part of our routine business operations. These financial assurance requirements affect our costs and increase our liquidity requirements. If we were unable to satisfy applicable financial assurance requirements, we might not be able to obtain or maintain permits we need to operate our business as we have in the past. Our need to comply with these requirements could materially affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. The other environmental regulations to which we are subject may also have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. We are, and may in the future be, involved in legal and regulatory proceedings that could be material to us. These proceedings include legacy matters arising from activities of our predecessor companies and from facilities and businesses that we have never owned or operated. The permitting, financial assurance and other environmental, health and safety laws and regulations to which we are subject may become more stringent over time. This could increase the effects on us of these laws and regulations, and the increased effects could be material. Some of our competitors have greater resources than we do which may place us at a competitive disadvantage and adversely affect our sales and profitability. These competitors include state-owned and government-subsidized entities in other countries. The agreements governing our indebtedness contain various covenants that limit our discretion in the operation of our business and also require us to meet financial maintenance tests and other covenants. The failure to comply with such tests and covenants could have a material adverse effect on us. We have substantial cash balances that we invest in what we believe to be relatively short-term, highly liquid and high credit quality investments. We intend the investment risks, including counterparty default and lack of liquidity, on these types of investments to be relatively low, but market rates of return on these types of investments are also generally relatively low. In addition, our efforts to manage the investment risks could be unsuccessful. This could result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity or financial condition. We do not own a controlling equity interest in our non-consolidated companies, some of which are foreign companies, and therefore our operating results and cash flow may be materially affected by how the governing boards and majority owners operate such businesses. There may also be limitations on monetary distributions from these companies that are outside of our control. Together, these factors may lower our equity earnings or cash flow from such businesses and negatively impact our results of operations. Strikes or other forms of work stoppage or slowdown could disrupt our business and lead to increased costs. Accidents occurring in the course of our operating activities could result in significant liabilities, interruptions or shutdowns of facilities or the need for significant safety or other expenditures. Our Esterhazy mine has had an inflow of brine for more than 20 years. At various times, we have experienced new or increased inflows at the mine. The Esterhazy mine is not insured against the risk of floods and water inflows and the costs to control the brine inflows could increase in future years. The brine inflows, risk to employees or remediation costs could also cause us to change our mining process or abandon this mine, which in turn could significantly negatively impact our results of operations, liquidity or capital resources. Some of our mines are subject to potential damage from earthquakes. We experienced a fire at our Esterhazy mine in 2006. If our emergency procedures had not been successful, we might have had significant injuries or deaths. Mine operations were halted while we investigated the origin of the fire. We handle significant quantities of ammonia at several of our facilities. If our safety procedures are not effective, an accident involving our ammonia operations could result in serious injuries or death, or result in the shutdown of our facilities. We also use or produce other hazardous or volatile chemicals at some of our facilities. If our safety procedures are not effective, an accident involving these other hazardous or volatile chemicals could result in serious injuries or death, or result in the shutdown of our facilities. Deliberate, malicious acts, including terrorism, could damage our facilities, disrupt our operations or injure employees, contractors, customers or the public and result in liability to us. We may be adversely affected by changing antitrust laws to which we are subject. The recent increases in crop nutrient prices have increased the scrutiny to which we are subject under these laws. We may be adversely affected by other changes in laws resulting from the recent increases in food and crop nutrient prices. Our competitive position could be adversely affected if we are unable to participate in continuing industry consolidation. Our risk management strategy may not be effective. A shortage of railcars, barges and ships for carrying our products and the raw materials we use in our business could result in customer dissatisfaction, loss of production or sales, and higher transportation or equipment costs. We extend trade credit to our customers and guarantee the financing that some of our customers use to purchase our products. Our results of operations may be adversely affected if these customers are unable to repay the trade credit from us or financing from their banks. The recent increases in prices for fertilizer, other agricultural inputs and grain may increase this risk. Cargill s status as a significant stockholder and its representation on our Board of Directors may create conflicts of interest with our other stockholders and could cause us to take actions that our other stockholders do not support. Cargill s significant ownership interest in Mosaic and our classified Board of Directors and other anti-takeover provisions could deter an acquisition proposal for Mosaic that other stockholders may consider favorable. Our stockholders may be adversely affected by the expiration of the standstill restrictions in our Investor Rights Agreement with Cargill, which would enable Cargill to, among other things, increase its ownership percentage of our common stock above 64.4% or seek additional representation on our Board of Directors, any of which could have an impact on the price of our common stock. Our stockholders may also be adversely affected if Cargill were to transfer all or a significant percentage of its interest in our common stock to a third party. Our success will increasingly depend on our ability to attract and retain highly qualified and motivated employees.

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1285785--7/29/2008--MOSAIC_CO