UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 20-F
☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
OR
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission file number 001-35723
BRASILAGRO – COMPANHIA BRASILEIRA DE PROPRIEDADES AGRÍCOLAS
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
BrasilAgro - Brazilian Agricultural Real Estate Company
(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)
The Federative Republic of Brazil
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 1309, 5th floor, São Paulo - SP 01452-002, Brazil
(Address of principal executive offices)
Gustavo Javier Lopez
Chief Administrative Officer and Investor Relations Officer
Tel.: +55 11 3035 5350, Email: ri@brasil-agro.com
Av. Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 1309, 5th floor São Paulo - SP 01452-002, Brazil
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☐ No ☐ (Note: None required for registrant)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow. Item 17 ☐ Item 18 ☐
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
Part I
INTRODUCTION
Unless the context otherwise requires, the term “BrasilAgro” refers to BrasilAgro – Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas and its consolidated subsidiaries; and unless indicated otherwise, the terms “we,” the “Company,” “our” or “us” refer to BrasilAgro. The term “Brazil” refers to The Federative Republic of Brazil.
Presentation of Financial Information
All references herein to “real,” “reais” or “R$” are to the Brazilian real, the official currency of Brazil. All references to “dollars” or “US$” are to U.S. dollars.
On June 30, 2019, the end of our last fiscal year, the exchange rate for reais into U.S. dollars was R$3.8322 to US$1.00, based on the selling rate as reported by the Central Bank of Brazil (Banco Central do Brasil), or the Central Bank. On June 30, 2018, the selling rate was R$3.8552 to US$1.00. The selling rate was R$3.3082 to US$1.00 on June 30, 2017, R$3.2098 to US$1.00 on June 30, 2016 and R$3.1026 to US$1.00 on June 30, 2015, in each case, as reported by the Central Bank. The real/U.S. dollar exchange rate fluctuates widely, and the selling rate on June 30, 2019 may not be indicative of future exchange rates. On September 30, 2019, the selling rate was R$4.1644 to US$1.00 and, on October 25, 2019, the selling rate was R$4.0133 to US$1.00, as reported by the Central Bank.
Financial Statements
The Brazilian Real is our functional currency, including our subsidiaries located in Brazil, and is also the currency used for the preparation and presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our fiscal year is from July 1 of each year to June 30 of the following year.
We prepare our annual consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, or IFRS, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, or the IASB.
The selected financial information should be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, included elsewhere in this annual report.
Crop Year, Harvest and Planting Season
Our agricultural production is based on the crop year, which varies according to each crop. The crop year for sugarcane is from January 1 to December 31 of the same year, and the crop year for grains is from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. We also make reference to the planting season and the harvest season, or harvest period. In Brazil, the planting season for grains is from September to December, and the planting season for sugarcane is from February to May. The harvesting period in Brazil for grains is from February to July, and such period for sugarcane is from April to November.
Market Information
The market information included herein concerning the Brazilian economy and the domestic and international agriculture industry was obtained from market research, publicly available information and industry publications from established public sources, such as the Central Bank, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), or the IBGE, the Brazilian Food Supply Company (Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento), or Conab, a state-owned company, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento), or MAPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, the U.S. Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, the United Nations, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, as well as from other public institutions and independent sources as indicated throughout this annual report. We believe that such information is true and accurate as of the date it was made available, although we have not independently verified it.
Rounding
Some percentages and amounts included herein have been rounded for ease of presentation. Accordingly, figures shown as totals in certain tables may not be arithmetic aggregations of the figures that precede them.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 3(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, as modified by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act. Therefore, we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies,” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or any Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or “PCAOB,” rules, which, if adopted in the future, would require mandatory audit firm rotation and auditor discussion and analysis pursuant to any future audit rule promulgated by the PCAOB (unless the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, determines otherwise). We take advantage of the exemption from providing an auditor’s attestation report and may decide to rely on other exemptions in the future, such as compliance with certain PCAOB rules. We do not know if some investors will find our common stock less attractive as a result. The result may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may become more volatile.
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We could remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of (a) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenue exceeds US$1 billion, (b) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of our first sale of our common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, (c) the date on which we have issued more than US$1 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period, or (d) the date on which we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter.
Forward-Looking Statements
This annual report on Form 20-F includes statements that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of our management and on information available to management at the time such statements were made. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (a) information concerning possible or assumed future results of our operations, earnings, industry conditions, demand and pricing for our services and other aspects of our business described under “Item 4—Information on the Company,” “Item 5—Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and “Item 11—Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk”; and (b) statements that are preceded by, followed by or include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “is confident,” “plans,” “estimates,” “may,” “might,” “could,” “will,” “would,” the negatives of such terms or similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although we make such statements based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from our expectations. Many of the factors that will determine these results are beyond our ability to control or predict.
Any of the risk factors described under “Item 3— Key Information—Risk Factors” and those described elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F or in our other filings with the SEC, among other things, could cause our results to differ from any results or conditions that might be projected, forecasted or estimated by us in any such forward-looking statements.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law or stock exchange regulation. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.
ITEM 1—IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
Not applicable.
ITEM 2—OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
ITEM 3—KEY INFORMATION
We prepare our annual consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.
Due to the nature of our business and the harvesting periods in the locations where we operate, our fiscal year ends on June 30 of each year. References in this annual report on Form 20-F to a specific fiscal year relate to the fiscal year ended on June 30 of that calendar year, unless indicated otherwise.
The selected financial data has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015, and for each of the years ended June 30, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015. The information set forth below is qualified by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, our audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto and also “Item 5—Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” included in this annual report.
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Effects of the adoption of the amendments to IAS 41 and IAS 16
In 2014, the IASB amended IAS 16 and IAS 41, which distinguish bearer plants from other biological assets. Bearer plants are solely used to grow products over their productive lives and are seen to be similar to an item of property, plant and equipment under the scope of IAS 16, rather than other biological assets that falls under the scope of IAS 41. However, the agricultural products growing on bearer plants remains within the scope of IAS 41 and is measured at fair value less cost to sell. The amendments were applicable for our fiscal year ended June 30, 2017.
Our sugarcane plantations qualify as bearer plants under the new definition in IAS 41. As required under IAS 8, “Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors,” we effected the change in accounting policy retrospectively as of July 1, 2014. The standard became effective as from our fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2016 and, consequently, our sugarcane was reclassified to property, plant and equipment, measured at cost and depreciated over its useful life on a straight-line basis. We adopted the transitional rule provided for in the amendment, which allowed us to apply the fair value of bearer plants as their deemed cost as of July 1, 2014. Accordingly, we revised the comparative financial data amounts for the years ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.
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We have included information with respect to dividends and/or interest on shareholders’ equity paid to holders of our common shares since the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015 in reais and in U.S. dollars translated from reais at the commercial market selling rate in effect as of the payment date under the caption “Item 8—Financial Information—Dividends and Dividend Policy—Recent Dividend Payments.”
Exchange Rates
Our dividends, when paid in cash, are denominated in reais. As a result, exchange rate fluctuations have affected and will affect the U.S. dollar amounts received by holders of ADSs on conversion of such dividends by The Bank of New York, as the ADS depositary. The Bank of New York converts dividends it receives from reais into U.S. dollars upon receipt, by sale or such other manner as it has determined, and distributes such U.S. dollars to holders of ADSs, net of The Bank of New York’s expenses of conversion, any applicable taxes and other governmental charges. Exchange rate fluctuations may also affect the U.S. dollar price of the ADSs.
The Brazilian government may impose temporary restrictions on the conversion of reais into foreign currencies and on the remittance to foreign investors of proceeds from their investments in Brazil. Brazilian law permits the government to impose these restrictions whenever it determines there is an imbalance in Brazil’s balance of payments or reason to expect that one will occur.
On June 30, 2019, the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate was R$3.8322 per US$1.00. On September 30, 2019, the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate was R$4.1644 per US$1.00 and, on October 25, 2019, the selling rate was R$4.0133 to US$1.00.
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Risks Relating to our Business and Industry
Our ability to implement our business strategy successfully may be adversely affected by numerous factors beyond our control, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our business strategy depends on our ability to acquire, develop, operate and sell our agricultural properties on a profitable basis. Our strategy is based on our ability to acquire agricultural properties at attractive prices, develop them into efficient and profitable operations and sell them at a profit in the medium and long term. These factors are essential for our prospects of success, but are subject to significant uncertainties, contingencies and risks within our economic, competitive, regulatory and operational environment, many of which are beyond our control. Our ability to execute our business strategy successfully is uncertain and may be adversely affected by any of the following factors, among others:
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We may not be able to continue acquiring suitable agricultural properties on attractive terms.
In recent years, investments in Brazil’s agriculture sector have increased substantially. As a result, demand and valuations for the kind of properties we seek to acquire have escalated significantly. We believe that prices for such properties are likely to continue to increase in the medium and long-term, perhaps significantly as demand is expected to remain high. We compete with local and foreign investors, many of whom are larger and have greater financial resources than we do. Such investors may be able to incur operating losses for a sustained period, retain their real estate investments for a longer period than we can or accept lower returns on such investments. As a result, such investors may be willing to pay substantially higher prices for agricultural properties than we are able or willing to, depriving us of opportunities to acquire the best agricultural properties and/or increasing our acquisition costs. As a result of the foregoing, we cannot assure you that we will be able to locate and acquire suitable investments on reasonable terms or at all, and our inability to do so would have a material adverse effect on us.
The imposition of restrictions on acquisitions of agricultural properties by foreign nationals may materially restrict the development of our business.
In August 2010, the then-president of Brazil approved the opinion of the Federal Attorney General affirming the constitutionality of Brazilian Law No. 5,709/71, which imposes important limitations on the acquisition and lease of land in Brazil by foreigners and by Brazilian companies controlled by foreigners. Pursuant to this legislation, companies that are majority-owned by foreigners are not permitted to acquire agricultural properties in excess of 100 indefinite exploration modules, or MEI (which are measurement units adopted by the National Institute of Agrarian Development (Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária, or INCRA), within different Brazilian regions, and which range from five to 100 hectares) absent the prior approval of the Brazilian Congress, while the acquisition of areas measuring less than 100 MEIs by such companies requires the prior approval of INCRA. In addition, agricultural areas that are owned by foreigners or companies controlled by foreigners shall not exceed 25% of the surface area of the relevant municipality, of which area up to 40% shall not belong to foreigners or companies controlled by foreigners of the same nationality, meaning that the sum of agricultural areas that belong to foreigners or companies controlled by foreigners of the same nationality shall not exceed 10% of the surface area of the relevant municipality. In addition, INCRA is also required to verify if the agricultural, cattle-raising, industrial or colonization projects to be developed in such areas were previously approved by the relevant authorities. After that analysis, INCRA will issue a certificate allowing the acquisition or rural lease of the property. The purchase and/or rural lease of agricultural properties that do not comply with the aforementioned requirements need to be authorized by the Brazilian Congress. In both cases, it is not possible to determine an estimated time frame for the approval procedure, since at the date of this annual report, there are no known cases on the grating of such certificates.
On September 30, 2019, approximately 67.6% of our common shares were held by foreigners. Bearing that in mind, the implementation of Law No. 5,709/71 may impose on us additional procedures and approvals in connection with our future acquisitions of land, which may result in material delays and/or our inability to obtain required approvals. There is also a case pending on the Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, or STF) on the Opinion No. 461/2012-E, issued by São Paulo’s General Controller of Justice (Corregedoria Geral de Justiça do Estado de São Paulo), which has established that entities providing notary and registrar services located in the State of São Paulo are exempt from observing certain restrictions and requirements imposed by Law No. 5,709/71 and Decree No. 74,965/74. Moreover, on April 16, 2015, the Brazilian Rural Society filed a claim for the acknowledgment of non-compliance with basic principles (ADPF) under certain provisions of the Brazilian Constitution with the Supreme Court in order to (i) rule that paragraph 1, article 1, of Law No. 5,709/71 was repealed by the 1988 Federal Constitution and (ii) reverse the opinion issued by the Federal Attorney General (AGU) of 2010. As of the date hereof, we are not able to provide an estimate of the timeframe for a final judgment to be issued by the STF in both cases.
Depending on the final decisions of these pending lawsuits, we may need to modify our business strategy and intended practices in order to be able to acquire agricultural properties. This might have the effect of increasing the number of transactions we must complete, which would increase our transaction costs. It might also require the execution of joint ventures or shareholder agreements, which increases the complexity and risks associated with such transactions.
Any regulatory limitations and restrictions could materially limit our ability to acquire agricultural properties, increase the investments, transaction costs or complexity of such transactions, or complicate the regulatory procedures required, any of which could materially and adversely affect us and our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. For more information, see “Item 4—Information on the Company—Business Overview—Ownership of Agricultural Land in Brazil by Foreigners.”
A substantial portion of our assets consist of agricultural properties that are illiquid.
Our business strategy is based on the appreciation of the capital invested in our agricultural properties and the liquidity of those investments. We cannot assure you that the value of our agricultural properties will increase in the short-, medium- or long-term, or at all, or that we will be able to monetize our agricultural investments successfully. Agricultural real estate assets are, as a general rule, illiquid and volatile, and agricultural properties in Brazil are especially illiquid and volatile. As a result, it may be difficult for us to promptly adjust our portfolio of properties in response to changes in economic or business conditions, and we may be unable to find purchasers willing to acquire our agricultural properties at prices that are favorable to us. Lack of liquidity and volatility in local market conditions would adversely affect our ability to carry out sales of properties on a timely and profitable basis, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
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We may not be profitable, or our cash flow may not be positive for a number of years.
We expect to incur significant capital and operating expenses for several years on account of our continuing development activities. Due to the capital-intensive and long-term nature of our real estate development activities, many of our properties will not generate immediate cash flows or provide a short-term return on investment. Therefore, we may not achieve positive cash flows or profitability for a number of years, and, even if we do, we cannot assure you that such positive cash flows or profitability will be sustained in the future. Should we fail to achieve and sustain profitability, our business, financial condition and results of operations and the market value of our common shares would be adversely affected.
Fluctuation in market prices for our agricultural products could adversely affect us.
We are not able to obtain hedging protection or minimum price guarantees for the entirety of our production and therefore we are exposed to significant risks associated with the level and volatility of crop prices. The prices we are able to obtain for our agricultural products from time to time will depend on many factors beyond our control, including:
In addition, we believe there is a close relationship between the value of our agricultural properties and market prices of the commodities we produce, which are affected by global economic and other conditions. A decline in the prices of grains, sugar or related by-products below their current levels for a sustained period of time would significantly reduce the value of our land holdings and materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Substantially all of our revenue is derived from a small number of clients, and we currently face a risk of default by our main customer.
We currently sell a substantial portion of our total crop production to a small number of clients who have substantial bargaining power. For instance, during the year ended June 30, 2019, four of our customers were responsible for 85% of our revenue, and each of these four customers was responsible for at least 10% of our revenue. Of these four customers, two were responsible for 100% of our revenue in the sugarcane segment, and two were responsible for 71% of our revenue in the grains segment. In the year ended June 30, 2018, five of our customers were responsible for 83% of our revenue, and each of these five customers was responsible for at least 10% of our revenue. Of these five customers, two were responsible for 100% of our revenue in the sugarcane segment, and three were responsible for 55.3% of our revenue in the grains segment. See Note 18 to our financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report.
Furthermore, we entered into a supply contract and a leasing contract with Brenco – Companhia Brasileira de Energia Renovável (“Brenco”), which is controlled by Odebrecht S.A., pursuant to which we currently supply them with 100% of our sugarcane production from Alto Taquari, Araucaria and Partnership III farms. The term of this supply contract covers two full crop cycles, which consists of six crop years and five harvests, and therefore is scheduled to expire in crop year 2021/2022. The term of this leasing contract covers a total area of 5,782 hectares, which we will explore and operate until March 31, 2026.
In addition, we entered into a supply contract and a leasing contract with Agro Pecuária e Industrial Serra Grande Ltda. (“Agro Serra”), pursuant to which we currently supply them with 100% of our sugarcane production from São José farm. The term of this supply contract covers at least 15 crop years, and therefore is scheduled to expire no earlier than in crop year 2032/2033, and encompasses a total area of 14,900 hectares, which we will explore and operate.
In addition, the strong competition between a relatively fragmented sector of agricultural producers in the internal and external markets further increases the bargaining power of our highly concentrated client base. Thus, we may not be able to maintain or form new relationships with customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Concentration among our client base also increases the adverse consequences to us should we lose any of our clients or if any of our clients default on their obligations to us, either in the form of non-payment or through a breach of any contractual provision or obligation, such as shipping failure or delays. Delays in the shipment of our products could directly affect the planning of our harvest, which could generate losses and result in additional costs to us.
In the year ended June 30, 2019 and as of the date hereof, Brenco has not defaulted on the payment of any receivable. However, we currently run the risk of default by Brenco, our main customer, due to the fact that its controlling shareholder, Odebrecht S.A., is being investigated for corruption in the operation called “Lava Jato” (Car Wash). Odebrecht’s CEO has been arrested and the company has been facing the following issues: difficulties to access the credit market, decrease in its business activities, acceleration of debts, among others. Please see “Item 4—Information on the Company—Business Overview—Agricultural Activities and Products—Sugarcane” for a table presenting the aging of receivables from Brenco. Brenco’s controlling shareholder has been cutting costs, which can adversely affect Brenco, its business and its ability to meet its payments due to us. In addition, in May 2019, Brenco filed for reorganization bankruptcy in Brazil (recuperação judicial). As of the date hereof, we are unable to determine the impact, if any, that the reorganization bankruptcy of Brenco in Brazil may have on the payment of receivables due to us or on the general risk of default by Brenco on its obligations.
We are dependent on third-party service providers and subject to recent changes in the Brazilian labor legal framework.
In addition to our own personnel, we are highly dependent on third-party contractors to develop and cultivate our agricultural properties, and to provide the machinery and equipment needed for such purposes. As a result, our future success depends on the skill, experience, knowledge and efforts of our third-party service providers. We cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to hire the desired third-party service providers for our agricultural properties or that such providers will have the ability to ensure quality agricultural production in an efficient manner, and at competitive prices. Our failure to hire the desired service providers for our agricultural properties, or their failure to provide quality services, or the revocation or termination or our failure to renew our service contracts or negotiate new contracts with other service providers at comparable prices and terms would adversely affect us.
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Our dependence on third-party contractors also subjects us to the risk of labor claims alleging that an employment relationship exists between us and our contractors’ personnel, and that, as a result, we are secondarily liable for our contractors’ labor and social security payment obligations, lease payments or other obligations.
Moreover, pursuant to Brazilian environmental law, we are jointly and severally liable, together with our contractors, for all environmental damage caused by our third-party contractors, irrespective of our fault. Such obligations or our costs for defending against any such claims may be significant and could have a material adverse effect on us if we were held liable.
Changes in government policies involving biofuels may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Government policies for encouraging biofuels as a response to environmental concerns have had, and are likely to continue to have, an impact on commodities prices. The nature and scope of future legislation and regulations affecting our markets are unpredictable, and we cannot assure you that current concessions, prices or market protections involving biofuels will be maintained in their current form for any period of time. Any change in the support afforded to biofuels by the United States government or any other government may result in stagnation or decline in the market prices of certain agricultural commodities and consequently the price of our agricultural properties, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to extensive environmental regulation.
Our business activities in Brazil are subject to extensive federal, state and municipal laws and regulations concerning environmental protection, which impose on us various environmental obligations, such as environmental licensing requirements, minimum standards for the release of effluents, use of agrochemicals, management of solid waste, protection of certain areas (legal reserve and permanent preservation areas), and the need for a special authorization to use water, among others. The failure to comply with such laws and regulations may subject the violator to administrative fines, mandatory interruption of activities and criminal sanctions, in addition to the obligation to rectify damages and pay environmental and third-party damage compensation, without any caps. In addition, Brazilian environmental law adopts a joint and several and strict liability system for environmental damages, which makes the polluter liable even in cases where it is not negligent and would render us jointly and severally liable for the obligations of our contractors or off-takers. If we become subject to environmental liabilities, any costs we may incur to rectify possible environmental damage would lead to a reduction in our financial resources, which would otherwise remain at our disposal for current or future strategic investment, thus causing an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As environmental laws and their enforcement become increasingly stricter, our expenses for complying with environmental requirements are likely to increase in the future. Furthermore, the possible implementation of new regulations, changes in existing regulations or the adoption of other measures could cause the amount and frequency of our expenditures on environmental preservation to vary significantly compared to present estimates or historical costs. Any unplanned future expenses could force us to reduce or forego strategic investments and as a result could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we fail to innovate and utilize modern agricultural technologies and techniques to enhance production and yields of our acquired agricultural properties, we may be adversely affected.
Our business model is focused on our acquiring underdeveloped or underutilized agricultural properties and improving them by applying evolving agricultural technologies and techniques. Therefore, our strategy depends to a large extent on our ability to obtain and apply modern agricultural techniques and technologies to enhance the value of the properties we acquire. If we are unable to apply in a timely manner the most advanced technologies and farming techniques required to add value to our agricultural properties and make our products competitive and attractive to local and international investors, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected.
We may experience difficulties implementing our investment projects, which may affect our growth.
Part of our strategy with regard to our agricultural properties consists of investing in support infrastructure in order to increase the value of such agricultural properties. In implementing our investment projects, we may face a number of challenges, including: (i) failures or delays in acquiring necessary equipment or services; (ii) higher costs than those originally estimated; (iii) difficulties securing the necessary environmental and government licenses; (iv) changes in market conditions, which could render the projects less profitable than originally estimated; (v) impossibility or delays in acquiring land at attractive prices, or an increase in the land prices on account of growing demand for land by our competitors; (vi) impossibility of, and delay in identifying and acquiring land that is in compliance with Brazilian real estate property laws; (vii) lack of capacity to develop infrastructure and attract qualified labor on a timely and efficient basis; (viii) disputes and litigation relating to the land we acquire; (ix) cultural challenges deriving from the integration of new management and employees in our organization; and (x) the need to update accounting systems, administrative data and human resources. Our inability to manage these risks would adversely affect us.
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Property values in Brazil could decline significantly.
Real estate property values in Brazil are influenced by a wide variety of factors beyond our control, and therefore we cannot assure you that property values will continue to increase or that property values will not decline. A significant decline in property values in Brazil could adversely affect the value of our property holdings.
Our growth depends on our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel.
We are highly dependent on the services of our technical and administrative staff. If we lose any of our senior management, or require additional management personnel, we will have to attract similarly qualified administrative and technical personnel. There is significant demand for high-level, technical personnel with the skills and know-how required to operate our business, and we compete for this talent in the global market. The availability of attractive opportunities in Brazil and other countries may adversely affect our ability to hire or retain highly-qualified personnel. If we fail to attract and retain the professionals we need to expand and manage our operations, our business may be materially and adversely affected.
Adverse weather conditions may have an adverse impact on our agricultural properties and products and, to a lesser extent, our cattle production.
The occurrence of severe weather conditions, including droughts, floods, heavy rainfall, hail, frost or extremely high temperatures is unpredictable and has had and could have in the future a potentially devastating impact on our agricultural properties or production and, to a lesser extent, our cattle production. Adverse weather conditions may be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. In recent years, different regions in Brazil have been affected by extreme weather conditions, and the regions where our properties are located have also experienced high temperatures and severe drought in recent years. The effect of severe weather conditions may materially reduce the productivity of our farms, impairing our revenue and cash flow, and requiring higher levels of investment or significant increases in our operating costs, any of which could have a material and adverse impact on us.
Diseases may affect our crops and cattle, potentially destroying all or part of our production.
The occurrence and effect of diseases can be unpredictable and devastating on crops, potentially rendering useless all or a significant portion of the affected crops. The cost of preventing and treating crop disease tends to be high. For example, diseases, such as Asian soybean rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) and pests, like corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) and cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), can spread and may result in lower crop yields and higher operating costs. Currently, Asian soybean rust, corn earworm and cotton bollworm can only be controlled, not eliminated.
Diseases affecting our cattle herds, such as tuberculosis, brucellosis and foot-and-mouth disease, can render cows unable to produce meat for human consumption. Outbreaks of cattle diseases may also result in the closure of certain important markets for our cattle products, such as the United States. Although we abide by national veterinary health guidelines, which include laboratory analyses and vaccination, to control diseases among the herds, especially foot-and-mouth disease, we cannot assure that future outbreaks of cattle diseases will not occur. A future outbreak of diseases among our cattle herds may adversely affect our cattle sales which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operation.
The origination and spread of diseases may occur for many reasons beyond our control, including the failure of other producers to comply with applicable health and environmental regulations. The appearance of new diseases or the mutation or proliferation of existing diseases could damage or completely destroy our crops and cattle herds, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Fires and other accidents may affect our agricultural properties and adversely affect us.
Our operations are subject to various risks affecting our agricultural properties and agricultural installations, including destruction of farms and crops by fire and other natural disasters or events, and theft or other unexpected loss of grains or fertilizers and supplies. We could be materially and adversely affected if any of these risks were to occur.
Widespread uncertainties and fraud involving ownership of real estate in Brazil may adversely affect us.
Under Brazilian law, ownership of real estate is conveyed only upon proper registration and filing of the relevant public deeds with the Real Estate Registry Office with jurisdiction where the property is located. In certain locations in Brazil, it is frequent to come across real estate registry errors, including duplicate or fraudulent certificates of enrollment and legal challenges. Lawsuits concerning the lawful title of real estate are prevalent in Brazil and, as a result, there is a risk that such errors, fraud or challenges adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations, thereby causing the loss of all or substantially all of our agricultural properties.
We depend on international trade and economic and other conditions in our key export markets.
Brazil’s current agricultural production capacity is greater than the demands of its domestic agricultural market. Agriculture exports account for an increasingly significant portion of our revenue, especially as our rehabilitated farm properties gain crop production capabilities and increased yield. Therefore, our results of operations increasingly depend on political, economic and regulatory conditions in our principal export markets. The ability of our products to effectively compete in these export markets may be adversely affected by a number of factors beyond our control, including the deterioration of macroeconomic conditions, the volatility of exchange rates, the imposition of tariffs or other trade barriers or other factors in those markets such as regulations relating to the chemical content of agricultural products and safety and health regulations.
Due to the growing market share of Brazilian agricultural and beef products in the international markets, Brazilian exporters are increasingly being affected by tariffs and other barriers imposed by importing countries, in order to, among other things, protect local producers by limiting access of Brazilian companies to their markets. For example, the European Union imposes protective tariffs designed to mitigate the effects of Brazil’s lower production costs on local European producers. Developed countries also use direct and indirect subsidies to enhance the competitiveness of their producers in other markets.
The adoption of measures by a given country or region, such as restrictions, import quotas or suspension of imports could substantially affect the export volume of agricultural products and, consequently, our results of operations.
In July 2018, the U.S. and China began imposing tariffs on approximately $34 billion of each other’s exports. Subsequently, the U.S. imposed tariffs on an additional $216 billion in Chinese goods, and China imposed tariffs on an additional $76 billion worth of U.S goods. Negotiations to resolve the trade dispute are currently ongoing. Continued global trade tensions may lead to the imposition of further tariffs or other future geopolitical economic developments. Future actions of the U.S. administration or other countries, including China, with respect to tariffs or international trade agreements and policies remain currently unclear. We are unable at this time to predict the outcome of the trade tensions between the United States and China. The escalation of such trade tensions between the United States and China, and the imposition of tariffs, retaliatory tariffs or other trade restrictions may result in a rebalancing of global export flows in our key export markets and an increase in global competition, which in turn could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If the competitiveness of our products in one or more of our significant markets were to be affected by any one of these events, we may not be able to reallocate our products to other markets on comparable terms, which could therefore adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Fluctuations in the value of the Brazilian real in relation to the U.S. dollar could adversely affect us.
Foreign exchange fluctuations, particularly of the Brazilian real against the U.S. dollar, may significantly affect our results of operations given that: (1) our products and the basic supplies used in our production are traded internationally; (2) soybean prices are defined based on prices prevalent on the Chicago Board of Trade, or CBOT; and (3) most markets are served by several suppliers from different countries, and competitiveness of farm products abroad may increase in relation to ours in light of the appreciation of the Brazilian currency in relation to the U.S. dollar. Fluctuations in the value of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar could impact our export revenue, our sales in U.S. dollars in the Brazilian market and our financial expenses and operating costs, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Thereal has suffered frequent depreciations and appreciations in relation to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies during the past decade. The Brazilian government has in the past utilized different exchange rate regimes, including sudden devaluations, periodic mini devaluations (during which the frequency of adjustments has ranged from daily to monthly), exchange controls, dual exchange rate markets and a floating exchange rate system. Since 1999, Brazil has adopted a floating exchange rate system with interventions by the Central Bank in buying or selling foreign currency. From time to time, there have been significant fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Brazilian real and the U.S. dollar and other currencies. The devaluations in more recent periods resulted in significant fluctuations in the exchange rates of the real against the U.S. dollar and other currencies.
In 2016, the real appreciated by 16.3% against the U.S. dollar, and the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate was R$3.2591 on December 31, 2016. In 2017, the real depreciated by 1.5% against the U.S. dollar, and the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate was R$ 3.3080 on December 31, 2017. In 2018, the real depreciated by 17.1% against the U.S. dollar, and on December 31, 2018, the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate was R$3.8748. On September 30, 2019, the real/U.S. dollar exchange rate was R$4.1644 per US$1.00. There can be no assurance that the real will not depreciate or appreciate against the U.S. dollar in the future.
We also hold derivative financial instruments to hedge risks relating to revenue from exports and operating costs denominated in foreign currencies. If we fail to manage these instruments properly, we may be adversely affected by our exposure to these risks, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our business is seasonal, and our revenue may fluctuate significantly depending on the growing cycle of our crops.
Agribusiness operations are predominantly seasonal in nature. In Brazil, the harvest of soybean and corn generally occurs from February to June. The annual sugarcane harvesting period in Brazil normally begins in April and ends in November. As a result, our results of operations are likely to continue to significantly fluctuate between the planting and harvesting periods of each crop, which cause fluctuations in our cash flows as a result of disparities between our revenue stream and our fixed expenses. In addition, seasonality creates limited windows of opportunity for our producers to complete required tasks at each stage of crop cultivation. Should events such as adverse weather conditions (including deluges of rain as has recently been the case throughout Brazil) or transportation interruptions occur during these seasonal windows, we may face reduced revenue without an opportunity to recover until the following crop’s planting. Finally, because of the effects of seasonality, our quarterly results may not be indicative of our annual results.
Our growth will require additional capital, which may not be available on terms and conditions acceptable to us, or at all.
Our operations require a significant amount of capital. We may need to seek additional capital by issuing shares or debt instruments, or by incurring indebtedness. Our ability to raise capital will depend on our future profitability, which is currently uncertain, and on political and economic conditions in Brazil and the international agricultural and real estate markets. Depending on these and other factors, many of which are beyond our control, additional capital may not be available at all or on conditions that are favorable or acceptable to us. If we are required to finance our activities through indebtedness, it is likely that the terms of that debt will impose upon us obligations or covenants, financial or otherwise, that could restrict our operational flexibility. Should we fail to raise additional capital under conditions that are acceptable to us, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We plan to continue to use financial derivative instruments, which may result in substantial losses.
We plan to continue to use derivative financial instruments, mainly commodity hedge derivatives, foreign exchange derivatives and exchange rate swaps. If we enter into such hedging agreements and future prices of the underlying commodities differ from our expectations, we may incur substantial losses which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Furthermore, our hedging strategies may not properly take account of the effects of foreign exchange or commodity variations on our financial position. On entering into forward exchange and commodity agreements, we will be subject to the risk that our counterparties could fail to meet the conditions of such agreements. We may not be able to receive compensation for losses and damages from any defaulting counterparty through legal remedies, on account of laws protecting against bankruptcy or other similar protections for insolvent debtors, foreign laws restricting cross-border legal remedies, or for other reasons, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may not be successful in our future partnerships and strategic relationships.
We have entered into strategic partnerships and alliances in order to benefit from certain business opportunities. We cannot predict if such strategic partnerships and alliances will be successful or if more partnerships and alliances will take place. Our ability to successfully expand our business by means of strategic partnerships and alliances depends on various factors, including our ability to negotiate favorable conditions for such partnerships and alliances, in addition to factors beyond our control, such as our partners’ compliance with obligations arising from the partnership. Furthermore, our expectations regarding the benefits of these partnerships may not materialize. If we are unable to develop successful strategic partnerships and alliances, we could also be adversely affected.
Cresud, our controlling shareholder, and certain members of our board of directors may have interests that differ from those of our other shareholders.
As of September 30, 2019, Cresud held 40.98% of our common shares. Cresud has other numerous investments and may have other priorities that may conflict with those of our other shareholders, and as a result thereof, significant conflicts of interest may arise between Cresud and our other shareholders. In addition, five of our nine directors have been nominated by Cresud and certain members of our management, including our Chief Administrative Officer and Investor Relation Officer, were previously employed by Cresud. This situation may give rise to actual or apparent conflicts of interest as such directors and officers may have fiduciary duties or other interests owed to both us and Cresud or any of its affiliates. It may also limit the ability of such directors and officers to participate in certain matters.
In addition, as a result of Cresud’s ownership interest in us, conflicts of interest could arise with respect to transactions involving our ongoing business activities, and the resolution of these conflicts may not be favorable to us. Specifically, business opportunities, including but not limited to potential targets for rural property acquisitions, may be attractive to both Cresud and us. We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts and, even if we do so, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated party.
Increases in the price of raw materials and oil may adversely affect us.
Our agricultural properties are located in Brazil’s savannah region, a location where the soil is mostly acidic and not very fertile, requiring the use of lime and fertilizers. Our operations require other raw materials such as pesticides and seeds which we acquire from local and international suppliers. We do not have long-term supply contracts for these raw materials and therefore are exposed to the risk of cost increases. A significant increase in the price of lime, fertilizers or other raw materials we use would likely reduce our profitability or otherwise adversely affect our business operations as these are not costs that can readily be passed on to our customers. In addition, certain of our production costs, including fertilizers and the cost of leasing agricultural machinery, are linked to the international price of oil and its derivatives. Therefore, if the price of oil increases significantly, our results of operations could be adversely affected.
Delays or failures in the delivery of raw materials used by us and our suppliers could have an adverse effect on us.
We depend on suppliers to provide us with fertilizers, seeds, other raw materials and machinery services. Possible delays in the delivery of such items may delay our planting efforts until we are able to establish agreements with other suppliers, or may delay our harvest in case of delay in delivery of machinery. Accordingly, any delays, failures or defects in the delivery of raw materials or inputs or with regard to the provision of services to us by our suppliers could adversely affect our business and results of operations. See “—Lack of transportation, storage and processing infrastructure in Brazil represents an important challenge for the Brazilian agricultural and agricultural real estate sectors.”
Some of our agricultural products contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and risks associated with GMOs remain uncertain.
The totality of our products, including soybean and corn, contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs in varying proportions depending on the crop year. Production and consumption of GMOs remain controversial, and adverse publicity and consumer resistance have led to the adoption of certain governmental regulations limiting sales of GMO products in important markets including the European Union. If GMOs were determined to present risks to human health or to the environment, demand for our GMO products could collapse, and we could face potentially significant liability for harm caused by such products, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Recently, a Brazilian trial court ruled that new products containing “glyphosate” – a herbicide widely used in soybeans and others crops – were prohibited from being registered in Brazil, and existing registrations would be suspended until the government reevaluates their toxicity. This decision also suspended the registration of others chemicals, such as the insecticide abamectin and the fungicide thiram. According to the Brazilian Agriculture Minister, this decision would be a disaster for the agricultural industry and, for this reason, the decision was subject to multiple appeals. On September 3, 2018, a court of appeals reversed the trial court’s decision. Currently, the use of glyphosate is permitted. However, we are unable to guarantee that it will continue to be allowed.
The prohibition of the use of glyphosate to control weed infestation could compromise no-till farming, which is important for productivity and sustainability, and lead to increased use of other products for pest control. Currently, there is no alternative in Brazil to replace glyphosate. Similar products have a high cost and are not readily available to meet the demand for glyphosate. As a result, our production costs could increase, and our productivity could be significantly impacted, which could result in lower production margins.
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Lack of transportation, storage and processing infrastructure in Brazil represents an important challenge for the Brazilian agricultural and agricultural real estate sectors.
We depend on efficient access to transportation and port infrastructure for the growth of Brazilian agriculture in general, and our operations in particular. We may decide to acquire agricultural properties in areas where existing transportation infrastructure is inadequate and where improvements may be required to make our agricultural production more accessible to export centers at competitive prices. A substantial portion of Brazilian agricultural production is currently transported by trucks, which is significantly more expensive than transportation by rail cars. Given that our dependence on road transportation prevents us from being considered a low-cost producer, our ability to compete on the world market may be impaired, especially as the price of fuel increases. As a result, we may not be able to secure efficient transportation for our production to reach major markets in a cost-efficient manner or at all, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, in May 2018, Brazil faced a widespread truck drivers’ strike, also called a diesel crisis, which caused a nationwide transportation paralysis, highway blockades, cargo delays, shortages of food, supplies and fuel in Brazil. The strike was led by self-employed truck drivers who demanded cuts in diesel fuel prices, fuel taxes, and reforms of laws and regulations applicable to their occupation. The truckers’ strike forced the Brazilian government to make certain concessions, such as the expansion of fuel subsidies, among others, in order to bring the strike to an end. The most significant concession made by the Brazilian government was the introduction of a freight rate schedule providing for minimum freight rates and minimum rates per kilometer, depending on the distance covered and type of cargo. The adoption of the freight rate schedule may increase transportation costs in Brazil and, therefore, negatively impact the logistics sector as whole, and our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Competition in the markets for our products may affect us.
We face significant domestic and international competition in each of our markets and in many of our production lines. The global market for agricultural products is highly competitive and sensitive to changes in industrial capacity, product inventories and cyclical changes in the world economy, any one or more of which may affect to a significant degree the selling price of our products and therefore our profitability. Since many of our products are agricultural commodities, such products compete in international markets almost exclusively based on price. Many other producers of such commodities are larger than us and possess greater financial and other resources. Furthermore, many other producers receive subsidies in their respective countries that generally are not available in Brazil. Such subsidies may afford producers lower production costs or enable them to operate in an environment with sharp price reductions, constrained margins and operating losses for longer periods. Any increased competitive pressure with respect to our products could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Social movements may affect the use of our agricultural properties or cause damage to them.
Social movements such as the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) and the Pastoral Land Commission (Comissão Pastoral da Terra) are active in Brazil and advocate land reform and property redistribution by the Brazilian government.
Invasion and occupation of agricultural land by large numbers of people is a common practice among the members of such movements and, in certain regions, including those where we currently invest, remedies such as police protection or eviction procedures are inadequate or non-existent. As a result, we cannot assure you that our agricultural properties will not be subject to invasion or occupation by any social movement. Any invasion or occupation may materially impair the use of our lands and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We made investments in farmland in Paraguay, and we may possibly make investments in other countries in and outside Latin America, in which case we would be subject to the associated economic, legal, political and regulatory risks.
Currently, we conduct our activities in Brazil and Paraguay. We are considering expanding into other countries in and outside Latin America, but currently have no definitive commitments or specific plans with respect thereto. In the future, we may expand our activities into other countries in Latin America or elsewhere if we decide that international expansion would be appropriate to achieve our objectives. The success in other countries of our business strategy and business model that we apply in Brazil would be subject to a high level of uncertainty and depend on numerous factors beyond our control. Therefore, we cannot assure you that any such expansion would be profitable or enable us to obtain the expected returns on our investments, or even recover our investments. Any international expansion of our activities would be subject to political, economic and regulatory risks in the relevant country and to risks inherent to the management of a transnational company, including:
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Our inability to recognize and respond to these differences, challenges and risks could adversely affect any operations we may undertake in markets outside of Brazil, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Unauthorized disclosure, or loss of intellectual property or other sensitive business or personal information, or disruption in information technology by cyber-attacks, as well as our failure to comply with existing and future laws and regulations relating to data privacy and data security can subject us to penalties or liability and can adversely impact our operations, reputation and financial results.
We collect, store, process and use certain confidential information and other user data in connection with our business operations. We must ensure that any processing, collection, use, storage, dissemination, transfer and disposal of data for which we are responsible complies with relevant data protection and privacy laws. We rely on commercially available systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide secure processing, transmission and storage of confidential information, such as customer, employee, company and other personal information.
Data protection and privacy laws are developing to take into account the changes in cultural and consumer attitudes towards the protection of personal data. For example, on August 14, 2018, Brazil enacted Law No. 13,709/2018 (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, or the LGPD), a comprehensive data protection law establishing general principles and obligations that apply across multiple economic sectors and contractual relationships. The LGPD establishes detailed rules for the collection, use, processing and storage of personal data and will affect all economic sectors, including the relationship between customers and suppliers of goods and services, employers and employees, and other relationships in which personal data is collected, whether in a digital or physical manner. The LGPD is expected to come into effect in August 2020. By then, all entities subject to it, including us, will be required to adapt their data processing activities to the new rules.
As we seek to expand our business and operations, we expect that we will be increasingly subject to laws and regulations relating to the collection, use, retention, security, and transfer of information, including the personally identifiable information of our employees and customers. These laws and regulations may be interpreted and applied differently over time and from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and it is possible that they will be interpreted and applied in ways that will materially and adversely affect our business. If there are breaches of the LGPD obligations, or of other data privacy laws and regulations, as the case may be, we could face significant administrative and monetary sanctions as well as reputational damage, which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial condition and prospects.
In addition, despite the security measures that we have in place, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, may be vulnerable to security breaches, cyber-attacks, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or lost data, programming or human errors, or other similar events. For instance, in October 2019, we experienced a cybersecurity incident, in which certain of our network and computer systems and data became temporarily unavailable. While we currently have no reason to believe that such incident resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, we are currently assessing the causes and impact of such incident. Any security incident, or any perceived failure involving the misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, as well as any failure or perceived failure to comply with laws, policies, legal obligations or industry standards regarding data privacy and protection, whether by us or our service providers, could damage our reputation, expose us to litigation risk and liability, subject us to negative publicity, disrupt our operations and harm our business. We cannot assure you that our security measures, or those put in place by our service providers, will be sufficient to prevent future security breaches or incidents, which may directly or indirectly affect us, or that our failure to prevent them will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Cyber-attacks or security breaches could compromise confidential, business and other critical information, cause a disruption in our operations or harm our reputation, as certain of our operations are dependent on information technology and telecommunication systems and services. Information assets, including intellectual property, personal data and other business-sensitive critical information are an attractive asset to cyber criminals, cyberterrorism or other external agents. A significant cyber-attack, a human error, including from our employees and partners, or obsolescence of technology could result in the loss of critical business information and adversely affect our operations and results of operations.
Our risk and exposure to these matters cannot be fully mitigated because of, among other things, the evolving nature of these threats. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance protective measures or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities that are discovered in the future. In addition, cyber-attacks could result in important remediation costs, increased cyber security costs, lost revenues due to disruption of activities, litigation and reputational harm affecting customer and investor confidence, which ultimately could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Risks Relating to Brazil
The Brazilian government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Brazilian economy, which, together with Brazilian political and economic conditions, may adversely affect us.
We may be adversely affected by the following factors, as well as the Brazilian federal government’s response to these factors:
Historically, the Brazilian government has frequently intervened in the Brazilian economy and has occasionally made significant changes in economic policies and regulations, including, among others, the imposition of new, changes in monetary, fiscal and tax policies, currency devaluations, capital controls and limits on imports.
The Brazilian economy has been experiencing a slowdown – GDP growth rates were 3.9%, 1.8%, 2.7% and 0.1%, in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, and GDP decreased 3.8% in 2015, 3.6% in 2016, increased 1.0% in 2017, 1.1% in 2018 and 0.7% in the first six months of 2019.
As a result of investigations carried out in connection with the Lava Jato (Car Wash) operation into corruption in Brazil, a number of senior politicians, including congressmen, and executive officers of some of the major state-owned companies in Brazil have resigned or been arrested, while others are being investigated for allegations of unethical and illegal conduct. The matters that have come, and may continue to come, to light as a result of, or in connection with, the Lava Jato operation and other similar operations have adversely affected, and we expect that they will continue to adversely affect, the Brazilian economy, markets and trading prices of securities issued by Brazilian issuers in the near future.
The ultimate outcome of these investigations is uncertain, but they have already had an adverse effect on the image and reputation of the implicated companies, and on the general market perception of the Brazilian economy, the political environment and the Brazilian capital markets. The development of these investigations has affected and may continue to adversely affect us. We cannot predict if these investigations will bring further political or economic instability to Brazil, or if new allegations will be raised against high-level members of the Brazilian federal government. In addition, we cannot predict the results of these investigations, nor their effects on the Brazilian economy.
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The ongoing economic uncertainty and political instability in Brazil may adversely affect the Brazilian economy, our business, and the market price of our shares and ADSs.
Brazil’s political environment has historically influenced, and continues to influence, the performance of the country’s economy. Political crises have affected and continue to affect the confidence of investors and the general public, which have historically resulted in economic deceleration and heightened volatility in the securities issued by Brazilian companies.
In recent years, there has been significant political turmoil in connection with the impeachment of the former president (who was removed from office in August 2016) and ongoing investigations of her successor (who left office in January 2019) as part of the ongoing “Lava Jato” investigations. Presidential elections were held in Brazil in October 2018. We cannot predict which policies the new President of Brazil, who assumed office on January 1, 2019, may adopt or change during his mandate or the effect that any such policies might have on our business and on the Brazilian economy. Any such new policies or changes to current policies may have a material adverse effect on us. The political uncertainty resulting from the presidential elections and the transition to a new government may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and the price of our shares and ADSs.
Furthermore, Brazil’s federal budget has been in deficit since 2014. Similarly, the governments of Brazil’s constituent states are also facing fiscal concerns due to their high debt burdens, declining revenues and inflexible expenditures. While the Brazilian Congress has approved a ceiling on government spending that will limit primary public expenditure growth to the prior year’s inflation for a period of at least 10 years, local and foreign investors believe that fiscal reforms, and in particular a reform of Brazil’s pension system, will be critical for Brazil to comply with the spending limit. As of the date of this annual report, discussions in the Brazilian Congress relating to such reforms remain ongoing. Diminished confidence in the Brazilian government’s budgetary condition and fiscal stance could result in downgrades of Brazil’s sovereign debt by credit rating agencies, negatively impact Brazil’s economy, lead to further depreciation of the real and an increase in inflation and interest rates, thus adversely affecting our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Uncertainty about the Brazilian government’s implementation of changes in policies or regulations that affect such implementation may contribute to economic instability in Brazil and increase the volatility of securities issued abroad by Brazilian companies, including our securities. Any of the above factors may create additional political uncertainty, adversely affect the Brazilian economy, our business, financial condition, results of operations and the market price of our shares and ADSs.
Inflation, coupled with the Brazilian government’s measures to fight inflation, may hinder Brazilian economic growth and increase interest rates, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Brazil has in the past experienced significantly high rates of inflation. As a result, the Brazilian government adopted monetary policies that resulted in Brazilian interest rates being among the highest in the world. The Central Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (Comitê de Política Monetária do Banco Central, or COPOM), establishes an official interest rate target for the Brazilian financial system based on the level of economic growth, inflation rate and other economic indicators in Brazil. Between 2004 and 2010, the official Brazilian interest rate varied from 19.75% to 8.75% per year. In response to an increase in inflation in 2010, the Brazilian government increased the official Brazilian interest rate, the SELIC rate, which was 10.75% per year as or December 31, 2010. The SELIC rate has increased and decreased since then and, as of June 30, 2019, it was 6.50% per year. The inflation rates, as measured by the General Market Price Index (Índice Geral de Preços–Mercado), or IGP-M, and calculated by Fundação Getúlio Vargas, or FGV, were 10.54% in 2015, 7.18% in 2016, (0.52)% in 2017 and 7.54% in 2018. Cumulative inflation in the first six months of 2019, calculated by the same index, was 4.38%.
Inflation and the government measures to fight inflation have had and may continue to have significant effects on the Brazilian economy and our business. In addition, the Brazilian government’s measures to control inflation have often included maintaining a tight monetary policy with high interest rates, thereby restricting the availability of credit and slowing economic growth. On the other hand, an easing of monetary policies of the Brazilian government may trigger increases in inflation. In the event of an increase in inflation, we may not be able to adjust our daily rates to offset the effects of inflation on our cost structure, which may materially and adversely affect us.
An increase in interest rates may have a significant adverse effect on us. In addition, as of June 30, 2019, certain of our loans were subject to interest rate fluctuations, such as the Brazilian long-term interest rate (Taxa de Juros de Longo Prazo, or TJLP), and the interbank deposit rate (Certificados de Depósitos Interbancários), or CDI. In the event of an abrupt increase in interest rates, our ability to comply with our financial obligations may be materially and adversely affected.
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A deterioration in general economic and market conditions or the perception of risk in other countries, principally in emerging countries or the United States, may have a negative impact on the Brazilian economy and us.
Economic and market conditions in other countries, including United States and Latin American and other emerging market countries, may affect the Brazilian economy and the market for securities issued by Brazilian companies. Although economic conditions in these countries may differ significantly from those in Brazil, investors’ reactions to developments in these other countries may have an adverse effect on the market value of securities of Brazilian issuers. Crises in other emerging market countries could dampen investor enthusiasm for securities of Brazilian issuers, including ours, which could adversely affect the market price of our common shares. In the past, the adverse development of economic conditions in emerging markets resulted in a significant flow of funds out of the country and a decrease in the quantity of foreign capital invested in Brazil. Changes in the prices of securities of public companies, lack of available credit, reductions in spending, general slowdown of the global economy, exchange rate instability and inflationary pressure may adversely affect, directly or indirectly, the Brazilian economy and securities market. Global economic downturns and related instability in the international financial system have had, and may continue to have, a negative effect on economic growth in Brazil. Global economic downturns reduce the availability of liquidity and credit to fund the continuation and expansion of business operations worldwide.
In addition, the Brazilian economy is affected by international economic and market conditions generally, especially economic conditions in the United States. Share prices on B3 S.A. – Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão, or B3, for example, have historically been sensitive to fluctuations in U.S. interest rates and the behavior of the major U.S. stock indexes. An increase in interest rates in other countries, especially the United States, may reduce global liquidity and investors’ interest in the Brazilian capital markets, adversely affecting the price of our common shares.
Risks Relating to our American Depositary Shares and Common Shares
A holder of our American Depositary Shares may face disadvantages compared to a holder of our common shares when attempting to exercise voting rights.
Holders of our American Depositary Shares, or ADSs, may instruct the depositary to vote the common shares underlying the ADSs. For the depositary to follow the voting instructions, it must receive them on or before the date specified in our voting materials. The depositary must try, as far as practical, subject to Brazilian law and our articles of association, to vote the common shares as instructed. In most cases, if the ADS holder does not give instructions to the depositary, it may vote the common shares in favor of proposals supported by our board of directors, or, when practicable and permitted, give a discretionary proxy to a person designated by us. We cannot be certain that ADS holders will receive voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying common shares. Also, the depositary is not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that ADS holders may not be able to exercise their right to vote and there may be nothing they can do if their common shares or other deposited securities are not voted as requested.
Holders of our common shares or ADSs may not receive any dividends or interest on shareholders’ equity.
According to our bylaws, we must pay our shareholders at least 25% of our annual net income as dividends or interest on shareholders’ equity, as calculated and adjusted under Brazilian corporate law. This adjusted net income may be capitalized, used to absorb losses or otherwise retained as allowed under Brazilian corporate law and may not be available to be paid as dividends or interest on shareholders’ equity.
Additionally, Brazilian corporate law allows a publicly-traded company like ours to suspend the mandatory distribution of dividends in any particular year if our board of directors informs our shareholders that such distributions would be inadvisable in view of our financial condition or cash availability. Holders of our common shares or ADSs may not receive any dividends or interest on shareholders’ equity in any given year if our board of directors makes such a determination or if our operations fail to generate net income.
Holders of our common shares or ADSs in the United States may not be entitled to the same preemptive rights as Brazilian shareholders, pursuant to Brazilian law, in the subscription of shares resulting from capital increases made by us.
Under Brazilian law, if we issue new shares in exchange for cash or assets as part of a capital increase, subject to certain exceptions, we must grant our shareholders preemptive rights at the time of the subscription of shares, corresponding to their respective interest in our share capital, allowing them to maintain their existing shareholding percentage. We may not legally be permitted to allow holders of our common shares or ADSs in the United States to exercise any preemptive rights in any future capital increase unless (i) we file a registration statement for an offering of shares resulting from the capital increase with the SEC, or (ii) the offering of shares resulting from the capital increase qualifies for an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act. At the time of any future capital increase, we will evaluate the costs and potential liabilities associated with filing a registration statement for an offering of shares with the SEC and any other factors that we consider important in determining whether to file such a registration statement. We cannot assure the holders of our common shares or ADSs in the United States that we will file a registration statement with the SEC to allow them to participate in any of our capital increases. As a result, the equity interest of such holders in our company may be diluted.
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If holders of our ADSs exchange them for common shares, they may risk temporarily losing, or being limited in, the ability to remit foreign currency abroad and certain Brazilian tax advantages.
The Brazilian custodian for the common shares underlying our ADSs must obtain an electronic registration number with the Central Bank to allow the depositary to remit U.S. dollars abroad. ADS holders benefit from the electronic certificate of foreign capital registration from the Central Bank obtained by the custodian for the depositary, which permits it to convert dividends and other distributions with respect to the common shares into U.S. dollars and remit the proceeds of such conversion abroad. If holders of our ADSs decide to exchange them for the underlying common shares, they will only be entitled to rely on the custodian’s certificate of registration with the Central Bank for five business days after the date of the exchange. Thereafter, they will be unable to remit U.S. dollars abroad unless they obtain a new electronic certificate of foreign capital registration in connection with the common shares, which may result in expenses and may cause delays in receiving distributions. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Exchange Controls.”
Also, if holders of our ADSs that exchange them for our common shares do not qualify under the foreign investment regulations, they will generally be subject to less favorable tax treatment of dividends and distribution on, and the proceeds from any sale of, our common shares. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Exchange Controls” and “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations.”
Holders of our ADSs may face difficulties in protecting their interests because, as a Brazilian company, we are subject to different corporate rules and regulations and our shareholders may have fewer and less well-defined rights.
Holders of our ADSs are not direct shareholders of our company and are unable to enforce the rights of shareholders under our bylaws and Brazilian corporate law.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our bylaws and Brazilian corporate law, which differ from the requirements that would apply if we were incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States, such as the State of Delaware or New York, or elsewhere outside Brazil. Even if a holder of our ADSs surrenders its ADSs and becomes a direct shareholder, its rights as a holder of our common shares under Brazilian corporate law to protect its interests relative to actions by our board of directors may be fewer and less well-defined than under the laws of those other jurisdictions.
Holders of our ADSs may face difficulties in serving process on or enforcing judgments against us and other persons.
We are organized under the laws of Brazil, and all of our executive officers and our independent registered public accountants reside or are based in Brazil. Most of our assets and those of these other persons are located in Brazil. As a result, it may not be possible for holders of our ADSs to effect service of process upon us or these other persons within the United States or other jurisdictions outside Brazil or to enforce against us or these other persons judgments obtained in the United States or other jurisdictions outside Brazil. In addition, because substantially all of our assets and all of our directors and officers reside outside the United States, any judgment obtained in the United States against us or any of our directors or officers may not be collectible within the United States. Because judgments of U.S. courts for civil liabilities based upon the U.S. federal securities laws may only be enforced in Brazil if certain conditions are met, holders may face greater difficulties in protecting their interests in the case of actions by us or our board of directors or executive officers than would shareholders of a U.S. corporation.
In addition, rules and policies against self-dealing or for preserving shareholder interests may be less well-defined and enforced in Brazil than in the United States and certain other countries, which may put holders of our common shares and ADSs at a potential disadvantage. Corporate disclosures also may be less complete or informative than those of a public company in the United States or in certain other countries.
Our status as a foreign private issuer allows us to follow local corporate governance practices, which may limit the protections afforded to investors.
We are a foreign private issuer, as defined by the SEC for purposes of the Exchange Act. As a result, for so long as we remain a foreign private issuer, we will be exempt from most of the corporate governance requirements of stock exchanges located in the United States; accordingly, you will not be provided with the benefits or have the same protections afforded to shareholders of U.S. public companies.
The standards applicable to us are considerably different from the standards applied to U.S. domestic issuers. Although Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act generally requires that a listed company have an audit committee of its board of directors composed solely of independent directors, as a foreign private issuer, we are relying on a general exemption from this requirement that is available to us as a result of the features of Brazilian law applicable to our fiscal council. In addition, we are not required to, among other things:
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We are an emerging growth company within the meaning of the Exchange Act and, if we decide to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, our common stock could be less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act. We are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with any PCAOB rules, that, if adopted in the future, would require mandatory audit firm rotation and auditor discussion and analysis pursuant to any future audit rule promulgated by the PCAOB (unless the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, determines otherwise). In addition, we are not subject to the additional level of review of our internal control over financial reporting as may occur when outside auditors attest as to our internal control over financial reporting. As a result, our stockholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years from the date of our initial public offering of securities under an effective registration statement under the Securities Act, though we may cease to be an emerging growth company earlier under certain circumstances.
We take advantage of the exemption from the auditor attestation report requirement and may decide to rely on other exemptions in the future. We do not know if some investors will find our common stock less attractive as a result. The result may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile.
Brazilian tax laws may have an adverse impact on the taxes applicable to the disposition of our common shares and ADSs.
Under Law No. 10,833/2003, the gain on the disposition or sale of assets located in Brazil by a non-Brazilian resident, whether to another non-Brazilian resident or to a Brazilian resident, may be subject to income tax withholding in Brazil. With respect to the disposition of our common shares, as they are assets located in Brazil, a non-Brazilian resident should be subject to income tax on the gains assessed, regardless of whether the transactions are conducted in Brazil or with a Brazilian resident. With respect to our ADSs, although the matter is not entirely clear, arguably the gains realized by a non-Brazilian resident upon the disposition of ADSs to another non-Brazilian resident will not be taxed in Brazil, on the basis that ADSs are not “assets located in Brazil” for the purposes of Law No. 10,833/2003. We cannot assure you, however, that the Brazilian tax authorities or the Brazilian courts will agree with this interpretation. As a result, gains on a disposition of ADSs by a non-Brazilian resident to a Brazilian resident, or even to a non-Brazilian resident, in the event that courts determine that ADSs would constitute assets located in Brazil, may be subject to income tax in Brazil. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations.”
The imposition of IOF taxes may indirectly influence the price and volatility of our ADSs and our common shares.
Brazilian law imposes the Tax on Foreign Exchange Transactions, or the IOF/Exchange tax, on the conversion of reais into foreign currency and on the conversion of foreign currency into reais. Brazilian law also imposes the Tax on Transactions Involving Bonds and Securities, or the IOF/Securities tax, due on transactions involving bonds and securities, including those carried out on a Brazilian stock exchange.
The IOF/Exchange tax was raised from zero to 6% on October 20, 2009. As of December 1, 2011, certain investments were excluded from the 6% tax and subject instead to a 2% IOF/Exchange tax. In 2009, the IOF/Securities tax was increased from zero to 1.5% on shares issued by a Brazilian company and listed on a Brazilian stock exchange for the purpose of allowing depositary receipts traded outside Brazil to be issued. In 2011, the IOF/Securities tax was increased from zero to 1% on currency-related derivative transactions resulting in an increase of the short position exposure in foreign currency or in a decrease of the long position in foreign currency. Since June 30, 2013, the IOF/Exchange tax and the IOF/Securities tax rates have been zero.
The imposition of these taxes may discourage foreign investment in shares of Brazilian companies, including our company, due to higher transaction costs, and may negatively impact the price and volatility of our ADSs and common shares if they become listed on a stock exchange in the United States, as well as on the B3.
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company, which could result in adverse U.S. tax consequences for U.S. investors.
We may be classified as a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Such characterization could result in adverse U.S. tax consequences to you if you are a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations”) of our common shares or ADSs. For example, if we are a PFIC, U.S. Holders of our common shares or ADSs may become subject to increased tax liabilities under U.S. tax laws and regulations and will become subject to burdensome reporting requirements. The determination of whether or not we are a PFIC is made on an annual basis and will depend on the composition of our income and assets from time to time. Specifically, for any taxable year we will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. tax purposes if either (i) 75% or more of our gross income in that taxable year is passive income or (ii) the average percentage of our assets by value in that taxable year that produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50%. For this purpose, income from commodities transactions is generally considered passive unless such income is derived in the active conduct of a commodities business.
See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company.”
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ITEM 4—INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
Our legal and commercial name is BrasilAgro—Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas. We are a corporation (sociedade por ações) organized under the laws of Brazil, and were incorporated on September 23, 2005. Our principal offices are located at Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 1309, 5th floor, São Paulo, SP 0145-002, Brazil, and our telephone number is +55 11 3035 5350.
We are focused on the acquisition, development and exploration of agricultural properties that we believe possess significant potential for cash flow generation and value appreciation. We seek to transform our acquired properties through investments in infrastructure and technologies which permit cultivation of high value-added crops (soybean, corn, sugarcane and others) and cattle raising and from time to time sell our developed properties in order to realize capital gains.
Since our initial public equity offering and listing in Brazil on the B3 stock exchange in April 2006, or the IPO, and the subsequent commencement of our operations until the date hereof, we acquired 12 agricultural properties in seven Brazilian states, aggregating 266,772 hectares, of which 172,032 hectares were arable but less than 10% of which were cultivated when acquired and 94,740 hectares were protected by environmental regulation. Since then, four of our agricultural properties were fully sold and four of our agricultural properties were partly sold, representing in the aggregate a total area of 82,759 hectares. As of the date hereof, we hold 235,919 hectares, including 51,811 hectares leased.
In December 2013, we acquired a 50% interest in Cresca S.A., a company that owns 141,931 hectares of rural land in Paraguay, of which approximately 71,000 hectares were arable, but less than 12,000 hectares of which were cultivated when acquired, and approximately 70,931 were protected by environmental regulation. On October 5, 2016, we entered into an agreement with Carlos Casado S.A. (“Carlos Casado”), our partner in Cresca at the time, pursuant to which we agreed to try to sell all the land that Cresca owned for a 120-day period as of the execution date of the aforementioned agreement. Further to the provisions of the agreement, we and Carlos Casado also agreed to split ownership of the land among us and Carlos Casado if either party failed to dispose of the totality of the land within the 120-day period.
As the properties were not sold to third-parties, on June 6 and June 8, 2017, we and Carlos Casado decided to proceed with the redistribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca, whereby we would separate and divide the assets and liabilities of Cresca, and Cresca would re-distribute them to us and to Carlos Casado. As a result of this transaction, we now have the following two subsidiaries that received Cresca’s assets and liabilities: (i) Palmeiras S.A. (“Palmeiras”), which was incorporated on December 16, 2016 to operate the activities of our investment in Cresca S.A. and (ii) Agropecuária Moroti S.A. (“Moroti”), a subsidiary that received, on February 9, 2018, upon the conclusion of the re-distribution of assets and liabilities process, all other assets and liabilities of Cresca attributed to BrasilAgro, including land and debts.
On February 9, 2018, the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca was concluded and the portion of assets and liabilities attributed to us was transferred to the wholly-owned subsidiary Moroti. As of June 30, 2019, Moroti owned 59,585 hectares, of which 34,673 were arable.
We invested more than R$766.2 million since our IPO to acquire, develop and transform agricultural properties.
We will continue the investments to develop and transform our agricultural properties in Brazil and Paraguay. In this regard, we will continue to apply for financing with government development banks.
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From July 1, 2016 until the date hereof:
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The map below indicates the location of our agricultural properties, their arable areas and their current or intended production activities as of September 30, 2019:
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We have a policy of performing annual appraisals of the fair market value of our agricultural properties. We estimate the market value of our agricultural properties based on each property’s level of development, soil quality and maturity and agricultural potential. For more information concerning our estimates of the fair market value of our agricultural properties, see Note 10 of our financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019.
Our estimates of the market value of our agricultural properties are based on several assumptions, methodologies, estimates and subjective judgments, all of which are inherently subject to significant commercial, economic, competitive and operational uncertainties, most of which are beyond our control and unforeseeable and therefore no assurance can be given that they are correct. Furthermore, market values of real estate are subject to significant fluctuations and are also subject to significant commercial, economic and competitive uncertainties, most of which are beyond our control, and thus such estimates should not be considered as indicative of the values that we will or may be able to receive in exchange for such properties. For more information on the risks we are exposed to, see “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors.” The table below indicates the historical cost of acquisition of the land and of subsequent improvements, as well as the estimated fair market value, with respect to our agricultural properties, as of June 30, 2019.
The SEC maintains an internet website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding companies that file or funish documents electronically to the SEC, including us. Our internet website is www.brasil-agro.com. The information included on our internet website or the information that might be accessed through such website is not included in this annual report and is not incorporated into this annual report by reference.
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We are focused on the acquisition, development and exploration of agricultural properties that we believe possess significant potential for cash flow generation and value appreciation. We seek to transform our acquired properties through investments in infrastructure and technologies which permit cultivation of high value-added crops (soybean, corn, sugarcane and other) and cattle raising and from time to time sell our developed properties in order to realize capital gains. We are currently involved in several farming activities, including grains and sugarcane production and cattle raising.
Agricultural Activities and Products
Independent Production
As of June 30, 2019, we were the operators with respect to our entire portfolio of agricultural properties. In the context of our independent operations, we maintain exclusive control over our production and exclusive responsibility for the acquisition of inputs, raw materials and equipment, hiring and oversight of employees, and infrastructure investment. We currently sell a substantial portion of our production to a small number of import/export companies or clients who have substantial bargaining power. Our net revenue was R$357.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 and R$244.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. All of our sales are to clients located in Brazil.
We enter into short-term contractual arrangements with third-party contractors, at all stages of the production process, for the provision of services (including our workforce), equipment, and infrastructure needs. We believe that this allows us to be more agile in adapting to market conditions as they unfold.
Our agricultural properties are managed by local managers, either on a regional level or for specific properties, depending on the location and size of each property. On June 30, 2019, we had one senior general manager for all of our farms, one manager at São José Farm, Partnership II and Partnership IV farm, one regional manager for the Chaparral, Jatobá and Preferência farms and one regional manager for the Araucária, Alto Taquari and Partnership III farms.
Leases
As an alternative to independent production, we leased in the past, and may lease again in the future, our agricultural properties to third parties.
Generally, our leases are subject to different obligations depending on the stage of development of the subject property. With respect to leases of our properties on which the land is undeveloped, lessees are subject to several terms and conditions, including requirements to invest and to use the techniques and equipment that we believe are necessary and appropriate for the preparation and correction of the soil in order to facilitate agricultural production. In addition to leases of land, we may also lease individual farmhouses or warehouses to lessees, pursuant to which we receive a portion of the agricultural production, in kind, produced by the lessee. Our leases generally last between three to ten years. Under Brazilian law, lessees have a right of first refusal to purchase farms when they are leased by them.
Grains
The planting season for grains runs from September to December, and harvest occurs between February and May. During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 66,899 hectares of grains at our grain farms in Brazil. For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, net revenue from sale of grains accounted for 47.9% and 39.8% of our net revenue, respectively.
All distribution of production from the farms is through road transportation. We enter into third-party service contracts to transport production from our farms to our storage facilities or to our clients.
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Sugarcane
The sugarcane planting season runs from February to May, and harvest occurs between April and November. On June 30, 2019, we had 31,832 hectares planted with sugarcane at our Araucária, Alto Taquari, São José Farm, Partnership III and Partnership IV farms.
We entered into a supply contract with Brenco, pursuant to which we currently supply the entirety of our sugarcane production from our Alto Taquari, Araucária, and Partnership III farms to them. The term of this supply contract covers two full crop cycles, which consists of six crop years and five harvests, and is scheduled to expire in 2021/2022. In the year ended June 30, 2019 and as of the date hereof Brenco has not defaulted on the payment of any receivable. We currently run the risk of default by Brenco, our main customer, associated with the fact that its controlling shareholder, Odebrecht S.A., is being investigated by the Brazilian Federal Police for corruption in the operation called “Lava Jato” (Car Wash).
In the table below, we present the aging of the receivables from Brenco, based on contractual terms.
As of
June 30,
2019
On May 8, 2015, we entered into a lease agreement with respect to a property located in the municipalities of Alto Taquari and Alto Araguaia, in the state of Mato Grosso (“Partnership III”), where we have the right to operate an area of 4,263 hectares by March 31, 2026. The properties are close to Alto Taquari Farm, a region that has had excellent sugarcane production results. This transaction allows us to make use of the operational structure and team already present in the region and ensure greater property management flexibility.
We entered into a supply contract with AgroSerra, pursuant to which we currently supply the entirety of our sugarcane production from our Partnership IV farm to them. The term of this supply contract is 15 years, renewable for another 15 years.
For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, net revenue from the sale of sugarcane accounted for 44.8% and 56.6% of our net revenue, respectively.
Our farm output is distributed through road transportation. We enter into third-party service contracts with trucking companies to transport production from our farms to our clients’ sugar and ethanol refineries.
Livestock
On June 30, 2019, we had 20,865 head of cattle distributed over 13,351 hectares of active pasture.
Others
On June 30, 2019, we had 24,212 hectares of farmland at our Nova Buriti farm. We are currently in the process of obtaining the necessary permits in order to begin operations. Due to the difficulties we have been facing in regard to obtaining licenses for the farm, we are studying alternatives for the property. One such option is to sell the farm to offset the legal reserve, a mechanism contemplated in the environmental code pursuant to which holders of a legal reserve deficit can acquire another area to solve certain issues.
Investment properties
On June 30, 2019, the net book value of our investment properties was R$548.7 million, of which R$410.6 million represented land acquisition costs and R$138.2 million (net of accumulated depreciation) represented improvements, including building and infrastructure improvements and costs of clearing and preparing the land. For the years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, gains on farm sales accounted for R$142.8 million and R$39.8 million, respectively.
Agricultural Properties
On June 30, 2019, we owned seven agricultural properties, totaling 170,455 hectares of arable land (not including environmental preservation areas in accordance with Brazilian environmental law), including 51,811 hectares of leased area and 29,745 hectares of Moroti Farm, located in the Brazilian States of Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Maranhão, Bahia, Piauí and in Paraguay. During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 51,843 hectares of soybean, 15,056 hectares of corn, 31,832 hectares of sugarcane, 16,869 hectares of other grains (sesame, sorghum and others and leased areas to third parties), 1,580 hectares of cotton and 17,771 hectares of pasture. Except for part of the Nova Buriti farm, we acquire and hold our agricultural properties through subsidiaries, a structure we believe will simplify the future sale of such properties in accordance with Brazilian law. In addition, we entered into rural partnerships to operate agricultural properties, the Partnerships II, III and IV.
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São José Farm: On February 2017, the São José farm was acquired by our subsidiary Imobiliária Ceibo Ltda. with a total area of 17,566 hectares for R$100.0 million. The property is located in the State of Maranhão, in the Northeastern region of Brazil.
We acquired 17,566 hectares, 10,137 hectares of which are arable and have already been developed, and will be used for the planting of grain crops. The other 7,429 hectares are permanent preservation and legal reserve areas. The acquisition price is R$100.0 million (R$10 thousand/arable hectare).
The agricultural partnership consists of 15,000 hectares of arable and developed land, already planted mostly with sugarcane. The agricultural partnership has a term of 15 years, which may be extended for the same period.
During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 5,585 hectares of soybean, 350 hectares of second crop corn and 19,960 hectares of sugarcane at the São José farm.
Jatobá Farm: On June 30, 2019, the Jatobá farm had an area of 18,073 hectares and was acquired by us, in partnership with Grupo Maeda, in 2007, for R$33.0 million. On May 12, 2012, we acquired Grupo Maeda’s partnership stake and became 100% owners of the Jatobá farm, through our subsidiary Jaborandi Propriedades Agrícolas. The property is located in the Municipality of Jaborandi, State of Bahia, in the Northeastern region of Brazil, which we believe to be advantageous for export purposes due to the presence of the Port of Candeias in the State of Bahia.
On June 30, 2017, we sold 625 hectares of our Jatobá farm, 500 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$10.1 million, equivalent to 300 soybean bags per arable hectare. In July 2018, we sold 9,784 hectares of our Jatobá farm, 7,485 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$164.8 million, equivalent to 285 soybean bags per arable hectare. In June 2019, we sold 3,124 hectares of our Jatobá farm, 2,473 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$58.1 million, equivalent to 285 soybean bags per arable hectare. In August 2019, we sold 1,134 hectares of our Jatobá farm, 893 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$23.2 million, equivalent to 302 soybean bags per arable hectare After these sales, the area of the Jatobá farm held by us is 16,939 hectares, of which approximately 13,090 hectares are arable.
Alto Taquari Farm: The Alto Taquari farm has an area of 5,291 hectares and was acquired by our subsidiary Imobiliária Mogno in August 2007 for R$33.2 million. The deed was granted in September 2015 after we paid the outstanding balance of R$27.4 million. Prior to our acquisition, the Alto Taquari farm was used for grain cultivation and cattle raising. As of June 30, 2019, we had 3,262 hectares planted with sugarcane. The 2009/2010 crop year marked the beginning of our obligations in compliance with our supply contract with Brenco, under which we supply the entirety of our sugarcane production from the Alto Taquari farm to them for a term of two complete crop cycles (six crop years and five harvests), which is expected to end in 2020. The property is located in the Municipality of Alto Taquari, State of Mato Grosso.
On November 2018, we sold 103 hectares of our Jatobá farm, all of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$8.0 million, equivalent to 1,100 soybean bags per arable hectare
Araucária Farm: The Araucária farm was acquired by our subsidiary Imobiliária Araucária in April 2007, in partnership with Brenco, in the proportion of 75% and 25%, respectively, for the total amount of R$80.0 million. The deed for Araucária farm was granted on November 20, 2008, and it was registered on November 24, 2008, upon which date our partnership with Brenco was terminated and from which point we remained the sole owners of 9,682 hectares of the Araucária farm, equivalent to R$70.7 million. The property is located in the Municipality of Mineiros, in the State of Goiás, and is primarily used for the cultivation of sugarcane and grain.
On May 2018, we sold 956 hectares of our Araucária Farm, 660 of which are arable (for a total sale price of R$52.4 million, equivalent to 1,208 soybean bags per arable hectare). On March 27, 2017, we sold 274 hectares of our Araucária Farm, 200 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$12.5 million or (R$13.2 million nominal value, equivalent to 1,000 soybean bags). On May 30, 2017, we sold 1,360 hectares of our Araucária Farm, 918 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$17.0 million, equivalent to 280 soybean bags. On April 25, 2013, we sold 394 hectares of our Araucária farm, 310 of which are arable, for a total sale price of R$10.3 million, equivalent to 48,000 soybean bags, and on June 27, 2014, we sold 1,164 hectares of our Araucária Farm, 913 of which are arable, for a total purchase price of R$41.3 million, equivalent to 735,000 soybean bags. After the sales, the area of Araucária farm held by us was 5,534 hectares, of which approximately 4,124 hectares are arable.
The 2009/2010 crop year marked the beginning of our obligations under our supply contract with Brenco to supply the entirety of our sugarcane production from the Araucária farm to them for a term of two complete crop cycles (six crop years and five harvests), which is expected to end in 2020.
Chaparral Farm: The Chaparral farm has an area of 37,184 hectares and was acquired by our subsidiary Imobiliária Cajueiro in November 2007 for R$47.9 million. The deed was granted on September 29, 2008 and was registered on December 12, 2008. The property is located in the Municipality of Correntina, State of Bahia.
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Nova Buriti Farm: The Nova Buriti farm has an area of 24,212 hectares and was acquired in December 2007 for the total amount of R$22.0 million. The transfer of 3,064 hectares was made in May 2010 to our subsidiary Imobiliária Flamboyant Ltda. and the remaining 21,147 hectares was transferred to us in August 2017, upon the payment of the balance of the price of the amount of R$12.8 million, with the exclusion of the monetary correction as negotiated with the seller. Our subsidiary Imobiliária Flamboyant Ltda. holds a 13% interest in the property, and we hold the remaining 87%. The property is located in the municipality of Bonito de Minas and Cônego Marinho, State of Minas Gerais in the Southeastern region of Brazil, which is in close proximity to major iron producers who utilize large quantities of biofuel, especially from eucalyptus wood, to generate electricity.
We are currently in the process of obtaining the necessary permits in order to begin operations. Due to the difficulties we have been facing in regard to obtaining licenses for the farm, we are studying alternatives for the property. One such option is to sell the farm to offset the legal reserve, a mechanism contemplated in the environmental code pursuant to which holders of a legal reserve deficit can acquire another area to solve certain issues.
Preferência Farm: The Preferência farm has an area of 17,799 hectares and was acquired in September 2008 by our subsidiary Imobiliária Cajueiro for R$9.6 million. The deed was granted on September 4, 2009, and registration was made on February 24, 2010. The property is located in the Municipality of Barreiras, State of Bahia. We use the property for cattle raising and grain cultivation.
On June 30, 2019, we had 20,865 head of cattle, distributed through over 13,351 hectares of active pasture in our cattle operations in Brazil and Paraguay
Partnership II: On October 11, 2013, we entered into a partnership with respect to Partnership II farm for up to 11 harvests, which is expected to end in October 2024. The Partnership II farm is located in the municipality of Ribeiro Gonçalves, in the state of Piauí, which has had excellent grain production results. We operate an area up to 7,500 hectares, which is suitable for grain crops. During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 7,489 hectares of grains at the Partnership II farm.
Partnership III: On May 8, 2015, we entered into a lease agreement with respect to a property located in the municipalities of Alto Taquari and Alto Araguaia, in the state of Mato Grosso (“Partnership III”), where we have the right to operate an area of 4,263 hectares until March 31, 2026. The properties are close to the Alto Taquari Farm, a region that has had excellent sugarcane production results. This transaction allows us to make use of the operational structure and team already present in the region and ensure greater property management flexibility.
Partnership IV: On February 7, 2017, we entered into a lease agreement with respect to a property located in the municipalities of São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, in the state of Maranhão (“Partnership IV”), where we have the right to operate an area of 15,000 hectares. The agricultural partnership is already planted mostly with sugarcane and has a term of 15 years, renewable for another 15 years.
Partnership V: On August 28, 2018, we entered into a lease agreement with respect to a property located in the municipalities of São Félix do Araguaia, in the state of Mato Grosso (“Partnership V”), where we have the right to operate an area of 20,373 hectares for up to 10 years. During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 33,628 hectares of grains (crop and second crop) at the Partnership V farm. These areas are mature, with more than 5 years under production and are suitable for a second crop.
Cresca:Cresca is a company that invests in agricultural and cattle raising land in Paraguay. On December 12, 2013, we entered into an agreement with Cresud, our controlling shareholder, for: (i) the acquisition of its interest in Cresca S.A., representing a 50% interest of the company, (ii) the assumption of Cresud credits with Cresca, and (iii) the execution of an advisory service agreement, pursuant to which Cresud agreed to render services to Cresca in exchange for the payment of fees. The total consideration of the transaction was US$19.8 million.
On the purchase date, Cresca had approximately 81,000 hectares and had a contract for the right to purchase approximately 61,000 additional hectares of agricultural land in the region of Mariscal Estigarribia in Paraguay. Pursuant to this agreement, Cresca purchased 35,864 hectares on July 9, 2014, and the remaining 24,753 hectares on January 20, 2015.
On April 4, 2014, Cresca sold 24,624 hectares in Paraguay, 12,312 of which are arable, for a total price of US$14.8 million (US$600 per hectare). The purchaser made an initial payment of US$1.9 million and paid the first installment in the amount of US$4.3 million upon the execution of the property transfer deed and the sold area possession transfer. The purchaser made payments totaling the amount of US$3.7 million in 2015 and a final payment of US$4.9 million on July 20, 2016.
On October 5, 2016, we entered into an agreement with Carlos Casado, our partner in Cresca at the time, pursuant to which we agreed to try to sell all the land that Cresca owned for a 120-day period as of the execution date of the aforementioned agreement. Further to the provisions of the agreement, we and Carlos Casado also agreed to split ownership of the land among us and Carlos Casado if either party failed to dispose of the totality of the land within the 120-day period.
As the properties were not sold to third-parties, on June 6 and June 8, 2017, we and Carlos Casado decided to proceed with the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca, whereby we would separate and divide the assets and liabilities of Cresca, and Cresca would re-distribute them to us and to Carlos Casado. As a result of this transaction, we now have the following two subsidiaries that received Cresca’s assets and liabilities: (i) Palmeiras, which was incorporated to operate the activities of the Company’s investment in Cresca and (ii) Moroti, a subsidiary that received, on February 9, 2018, upon conclusion of the process, all other assets and liabilities of Cresca attributed to BrasilAgro, including land and debts.
On February 9, 2018, the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca was concluded and the portion of assets and liabilities attributed to the Company was transferred to the wholly-owned subsidiary Moroti.
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As part of the re-distribution of assets and liabilities, the Company and Carlos Casado, partners in the joint venture, decided to waive the interest for late payment on the intercompany loans taken by Cresca in the total amount of R$32.9 million, of which BrasilAgro’s share was R$16.6 million. See Note 1 to our financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019.
As of June 30, 2019, Moroti owned 59,490 hectares of which 29,745 were arable. During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 5.440 hectares of soybean, 1,559 hectares of corn, 3,147 hectares of other grains and 2,859 hectares of pasture in the farm in Paraguay.
Investment in Brenco – Companhia Brasileira de Energia Renovável
In March 2007, we acquired an indirect minority interest in Brenco, controlled by Odebrecht S.A., through our 40.65% investment in Green Ethanol LLC (previously known as Tarpon All Equities Fund LLC), which we acquired for a purchase price of US$2.5 million. Green Ethanol LLC held 2.47% of the capital stock of Brenco, including 7,600,000 warrants issued by Brenco. In March 2008, we signed contracts for the exclusive supply to Brenco of the entirety of our sugarcane production over two full crop cycles. See “Item 4—Information On the Company—Material Agreements.”
In September 2008, Green Ethanol LLC decreased its shareholding in Brenco to 1.55% of Brenco’s capital stock, which percentage was subsequently increased to 3.80% in December 2008. In February 2010, ETH Bioenergia acquired substantially all of the capital stock of Brenco, thereby diluting our indirect ownership interest (held through Green Ethanol LLC) to 0.05% of Brenco’s capital stock as of December 31, 2010. As a result of the losses incurred by Brenco and of the significant level of debt, we carried out an impairment analysis of our investment interest in Brenco. As a result of such assessment, we recorded an impairment loss on our investment of R$6.6 million as of July 1, 2009.
Commodity Futures Contracts
We enter into sales contracts for the future sale and physical delivery of our agricultural commodities to international import/export companies. Such contracts are primarily with respect to soybean, but also include sugarcane in connection with our exclusive supply agreement with Brenco. In the case of soybean, we may contract a fixed price for all or part of the volume to be delivered. The price is determined according to a contractual formula based on the soybean quotation at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). The price established in U.S. dollars is paid at the end of the commitment period, in reais, according to contractually defined exchange rates prevailing a few days before settlement. The terms of the agreements subject us to fines in the event that we fail to deliver the previously-committed volumes to the purchaser.
Material Agreements
Partnership V (3SB Produtos Agrícolas S.A.)
On July 11, 2018, we entered into an agricultural rural partnership agreement with 3SB Produtos Agrícolas S.A. (“Brasilagro/3SB Partnership Agreement”), which was amended on August 28, 2018. The scope of 3SB Partnership Agreement involved a total of 11 rural properties, all located in the Municipality of São Felix do Araguaia, in the State of Mato Grosso, comprising a total agricultural area of 23,615 useful hectares. 3SB Produtos Agrícolas S.A. holds the rural properties under the Brasilagro/3SB Partnership Agreement by reason of rural lease agreements that it had previously entered into with the owners of such properties. For this reason, the term of the Brasilagro/3SB Partnership Agreement varies from property to property, according to the term of each rural lease agreement entered into with each the owners. On June 1, 2019, the total agricultural area of the Brasilagro/3SB Partnership Agreement was reduced by 3,242 useful hectares. On June 13, 2019, we entered into a new rural lease agreement with the owner of Fazenda Santa Luzia and Fazenda Jataí II (following the expiration of the rural lease agreements orignially entered into with 3SB Produtos Agrícolas S.A.). Considering both the Brasilagro/3SB Partnership Agreement and the agreements that we entered into with the owner of Fazenda Santa Luzia and Fazenda Jataí II, the total agricultural area currently occupied by us in São Felix do Araguaia, in the State of Mato Grosso, is 20,373 hectares.
Partnership IV (Agroserra – Agro Pecuária e Industrial Serra Grande Ltda.)
On February 7, 2017, we entered into two agreements for an agricultural partnership in relation to a property in São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, state of Maranhão, or Partnership IV.
The first agreement under Partnership IV establishes an agricultural partnership with Agro Pecuária e Industrial Serra Grande Ltda. (“Serra Grande”), which consists of a sugarcane exploration agreement of an area of around 15,000 hectares. The agricultural partnership will last for 15 years from the date of the agreement and may be extended for the same period. The amount to be paid to Serra Grande corresponds to 10% of the entire production obtained in the area referred to in the agreement and the initial volume to be produced in the area during the first year of the agreement was established at 850,000 tons. After this period, spanning between one and five years, the minimum volume to be produced in the partnership areas is 4,500,000 tons of sugarcane, and from the sixth year onward until the expiration of the agreement, the minimum production volume is 1,250,000 tons of sugarcane per crop year.
The second agreement under Partnership IV governs the rights and obligations of the agricultural partners, through which BrasilAgro acquired sugarcane crops planted by the agricultural partner in the areas referred to in the partnership agreement described above. This agreement meets the definition of a finance lease. As consideration, BrasilAgro undertakes to return, at the end of the agreement, the area referred to in the partnership agreement together with sugarcane stubble crops with the capacity to produce 850,000 tons of sugarcane in the crop year subsequent to the termination of the agricultural partnership agreement.
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Brenco – Companhia Brasileira de Energia Renovável
In March 2008, we signed two contracts for the exclusive supply to Brenco of the entirety of our sugarcane production over two full crop cycles (for sugarcane, one full crop cycle consists of six agricultural years and five harvests). They are expected to expire in 2020, but are renewable upon the agreement of the parties. One of the contracts refers to our cultivation from an area of approximately 5,718 hectares at our Araucária farm and the other refers to approximately 3,669 hectares at our Alto Taquari farm. The price per ton, for the purpose of these agreements, is determined based on Total Recoverable Sugar, or ATR, price per ton of sugarcane effectively delivered, with ATR corresponding to the quantity of sugar available in the raw material, minus sugar content lost during the production process, multiplied by the market prices of sugar and ethanol sold by regional plants in the internal and external market, in each case, as determined by the Counsel of Sugarcane, Sugar and Alcohol Producers in São Paulo (Conselho de Produtores de Cana, Açúcar e Álcool de São Paulo, or CONSECANA). For the year ended June 30, 2019, net revenues of our sugarcane production to Brenco were R$73.5 million, representing 20.5% of our total net revenue. The purpose of the contracts is not to secure a more favorable price than the market price, since we expect that the ATR price as determined by CONSECANA will be generally equivalent to the market price, but rather to secure the sale of our sugarcane production over the long term. We believe this gives us the predictability that makes it practicable for us to grow and commercialize sugarcane, given that sugarcane crops have a productive cycle lasting six years from the first harvest. However, Brenco is facing financial difficulties and may not comply with its contractual obligations.
On May 8, 2015, we executed three agreements with Brenco:
The first agreement consists of a rural sub partnership to operate nine farms located in the municipalities of Alto Araguaia and Alto Taquari, in the state of Mato Grosso. The sub partnership started at the date of its signature and is estimated to end on March 31, 2026. The areas are to be used for the plantation and cultivation of sugarcane, which cannot exceed the duration of the contract. This contractual partnership meets the definition of an operating lease. The payment must always be in kind (tons of sugarcane) and delivered at the mill owned by Brenco, which is located in the vicinity of the farms, during the harvest period of the product. The quantity to be paid for the duration of the contract shall be established in tons per hectare and varies according to the area being explored. According to this contract, the quantity to be paid in the long term corresponds to 529,975 tons of sugarcane, of which 174,929 tons will be paid within one to five years and 355,046 tons will be paid after more than five years up to the expiration of the agreement.
The second agreement relates to the regulation of rights and obligations between agricultural partners from whom BrasilAgro acquired the crops of sugarcane planted by Brenco in the properties subject to the sub partnership agreement described above. This contract meets the definition of a financial leasing. The payment must always be in kind (tons of sugarcane) and delivered at the mill owned by Brenco during the harvest period of the product. According to this contract, the quantity to be paid in the long term corresponds to 53,845 tons of sugarcane, of which 18,604 tons will be paid within one year and 35,241 tons will be paid within one to five years.
For the year ended June 30, 2019, we delivered a total of 762 million tons of sugarcane pursuant to the agreements described above.
The third agreement regulates the exclusive supply to Brenco of the total sugarcane production in the properties included in the sub partnership agreement for two crop cycles, one cycle shall be effective until the depletion of the already existing sugarcane crops and the other cycle consists of the sugarcane being planted by BrasilAgro.
In the year ended June 30, 2019 and as of the date hereof Brenco has not defaulted on the payment of any receivable. However, we currently run the risk of default by Brenco, our main customer, associated with the fact that its controlling shareholder, Odebrecht S.A., is being investigated for corruption in the operation called “Lava Jato” (Car Wash). Odebrecht’s CEO has been arrested and the company has been facing the following issues: difficulties to access the credit market, decrease in its business activities, early maturity of debts, among others. Therefore, Brenco’ controlling shareholder has been cutting costs, which can adversely affect Brenco, its business and its ability to meet its payments due to us.
Cresca
As the properties were not sold to third-parties, on June 6 and June 8, 2017, we and Carlos Casado decided to proceed with the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca, whereby we would separate and divide the assets and liabilities of Cresca, and Cresca would distribute them to us and to Carlos Casado.
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As a result of this transaction, we now have the following two subsidiaries that received Cresca’s assets and liabilities: (i) Palmeiras, which was incorporated to operate the activities of our investment in Cresca and (ii) Moroti, a subsidiary that has received, on February 9, 2018, upon conclusion of the process, all other assets and liabilities of Cresca attributed to BrasilAgro, including land and debts.
As of June 30, 2019, Moroti owns 59,490 hectares of which 29,745 were arable. During the planting season for our 2018/2019 crop year, we planted 5.440 hectares of soybean, 1,559 hectares of corn, 3,147 hectares of other grains and 2,859 hectares of pasture in the farm in Paraguay.
Raw Material Acquisition Risks
For the acquisition of farming inputs, our primary risks are foreign-exchange variations, the supply and demand of each input, farming commodity prices and freight prices. Our dependence on imported raw materials is also subject to supply and customs clearance delays. We are also subject to risks regarding the availability of the specific varieties of seeds we use, which are affected by weather conditions, among other factors.
In addition, the price of diesel fuel, which is the primary fuel used in farming machinery and trucks, is affected by the variation in oil prices as well as by the price-control policies adopted by the Brazilian government.
See “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to our Business and Industry” for information regarding the prohibition of the use of glyphosate and the freight rate schedule.
Customers
We currently sell a substantial portion of our total crop production to a small number of clients who have substantial bargaining power. For the year ended June 30, 2019, our three largest customers, Agroserra, Brenco and Bunge, accounted for 75% of our total revenue. See “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors— Substantially all of our revenue is derived from a small number of clients, and we currently face a risk of default by our main customer.”
Competition
The agriculture industry is composed of widely traded commodities, where the prices are freely determined based on supply and demand. The supply side is characterized by a large number of producers, each contributing a small part of the total production and thus having minimal influence over commodity prices, which are generally determined by indexes or exchanges in international markets, as is the case with soybean, the price of which is largely determined by the CBOT. Agricultural commodity producers therefore compete largely based on their production costs, and their scale of production. At the domestic level, producers compete on similar conditions, whereas at the international level, competition is affected significantly by, among other factors, government policies such as subsidies to agricultural producers, which can be substantial in developed countries.
Land acquisition is subject to intense competition. In this case, we compete to acquire the most appropriate land for cultivating our agricultural products. We believe that this process has contributed to an increase in land prices over the years and that the strongest competition has been from the larger groups having in-depth knowledge of the sector, management excellence and continuous objectives to increase their agricultural area portfolio. We understand that these large groups are mainly SLC Participações, operating in four Brazilian states; and Terra Santa Agro. In addition, we may face significant competition from large international companies which have greater financial resources than we do.
Seasonality
Our principal products are subject to seasonality variations between the crop season and the off-season. The off-season occurs between the end of the harvest of a crop year and the beginning of the harvest of the following crop year. Such period occurs at different parts of the year depending on the agricultural product, as follows: (i) the off-season for grains in Brazil typically occurs between August and January; (ii) the off-season for sugarcane in Brazil typically occurs between December and March; and (iii) the off-season for cattle-raising in Brazil typically occurs between September and January. Because of the reduced supply of agricultural products during each product’s respective off-season, prices for such products are typically higher during that time.
Throughout the year, our working capital needs vary significantly depending on the harvest period of grains, sugarcane and other crops in Brazil. Changes in the harvest periods, resulting from unfavorable weather or financial restrictions on us, have a direct impact on our inventory levels, advances to producers, loans and sales volume during the year.
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Insurance
Our businesses are generally subject to a number of risks and hazards, which could result in damage to individuals, or destruction of properties, facilities and equipment. As a general rule, we believe that our insurance coverage against risks that are typical in our business is adequate and consistent with the usual practices adopted by other companies operating in the same sector in Brazil. Nevertheless, we cannot guarantee that the coverage set forth in our insurance policies will suffice for purposes of protecting us from all losses and damages that may occur.
The Company has a civil liability insurance which is intended to insure us, as the insured party, up to the maximum limit of the insurance policy, which is R$5 million, from expenses for which the Company may be held liable by virtue of compensation for damages caused to third parties. This policy is currently in force and will expire on November 19, 2019.
We also have a business insurance (rural multi-risk) for storage structure (silo) and its machinery located at our farm named “Fazenda Chaparral” located at in the City of Correntina, State of Bahia, at Rodovia BR 349 - Km 228. This policy provides for different maximum indemnity coverrage, depending on the insured event, such as lightning, explosion, electrical damages or windstorm. This policy is currently in force and will expire on November 19, 2019.
We have also contracted a Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance policy, which covers the members of our board of directors, executive board, audit board or any other statutory body or body created by our bylaws or any natural person who has proper powers to represent the Company before third parties or whose position or function implies such representation, subject to the limits provided in the respective insurance policy. Consultants, external auditors, shareholders, partners, interveners, depositaries or liquidators of the Company are not covered by this D&O insurance policy. This insurance policy covers civil liability up to R$30 million; and a coverage against environmental damages up to R$ 4 million. This policy is currently in force and will expire on November 21, 2019.
We have already started the negotiations with both our broker and insurance companies regarding the aforementioned insurance policies to timely renew them prior to their expiration dates.
The Company contracted insurance for certain specific machines (harvesters and planters), as well as for its irrigation pivot system at our farm “Fazenda São José.”
The Company also contracted insurance for its headquarters office covering fire, lighting and explosion events, as well as electric damage. This policy is currently in force and will expire on April 04, 2020.
Intellectual Property
In Brazil, title to a patent or trademark is obtained by means of the registration with the National Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial, or INPI). When such right is granted, the titleholder is ensured the exclusive use right thereof all over Brazil for a period of ten years, which may be renewed for successive equal periods indefinitely, as long as there is an interest in maintaining the trademark ownership.
Pursuant to the Brazilian legal framework, a trademark can be categorized as either a product, service, certification or collective mark. With regard to its presentation in local law, the trademarks can be nominative, mixed, figurative or three-dimensional. During the registration process, the depositor has an expectation of right to use the deposited trademarks, which he may avail himself from in order to identify its products or services until the registration process is ultimately concluded.
We have filed three trademark registration applications at the INPI for the trademark name (which corresponds to our current corporate name) “BrasilAgro – Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas” under applications No. 828045089, 828045097 and 828045100. The analysis of trademark application No. 828045089 is currently postponed pending the final decision of another trademark registration application in order to avoid conflict of interest between the Company and other third parties. By its turn, service trademark application No. 828045097 in NCL (8) 35 marketing, distribution, importation and export of agricultural and livestock products was approved by the INPI on June 5, 2012 and expires on June 5, 2022. Finally, application No. 828045100, for NCL (8) 31 products related to agriculture and livestock, such as agricultural products, vegetables, forestry, grains and animals, fruits, vegetables, seeds, plants and natural flowers and food for animal was granted to the Company by the INPI on September 20, 2016 and expires on September 20, 2026.
We also have filed three trademark registration applications for the trademark name “BrasilAgro – Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agropecuárias,” under applications No. 827971575, 827971567 and 827971583. One of such applications, No. 827971567, was rejected based on INPI’s considerations of previously filed trademark applications. We filed an appeal and await a final decision from the INPI regarding this particular application. Our business has not been affected by the refusal of this trademark registration application given that such application has as subject matter the trademark name “BrasilAgro – Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agropecuárias,” which is not our actual corporate name (our actual corporate name is “BrasilAgro – Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas”) and was filed at the time as a cautionary measure when we were in the process of deciding our corporate name. In addition, the other two applications, No. 827971575 and 827971583, were approved on June 14, 2011, expiring on June 14, 2021 and on January 28, 2014, expiring on January 28, 2024, respectively.
In addition, we filed three trademark registration applications for the single name “BrasilAgro.” The first one, filed at INPI under No. 829541870 is a service trademark, refers to NCL (9) 35 - marketing, distribution, importation and export of agricultural and livestock products, was approved on November 1, 2011 and expires on November 1, 2021. The second one, filed under No. 829541853, refers to a product trademark, on NCL 31, involving products related to agriculture and livestock, such as agricultural products, vegetables, forestry, grains and animals, fruits, vegetables and fresh vegetables, seeds, plants and natural flowers, animal food and malt, was approved on September 20, 2016 and remains in force until September 20, 2026. Finally, the third trademark registration application for the name “BrasilAgro” had the analysis thereof postponed by means of a decision dated June 28, 2011 and is currently halted given that it is pending of evaluation of another prior trademark registration application by the INPI.
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Risk Management
We analyze and monitor the various risks to which our business and operations are exposed. In addition to monitoring the specific factors that directly affect our agricultural production and business operations, we also monitor the risks derived from commodity price variations for our individual agricultural products, as well as foreign-exchange variations. Through our risk management policy coordinated among our Strategic Planning department, Risk Management Committee and board of directors, we hedge our exposure to commodity price risks for our transactions through over-the-counter instruments including options and futures contracts negotiated in the commodity market and maintain our exposures within pre-established limits.
Cash Management
To the extent we are unable or decide not to deploy our capital through agricultural property acquisitions or other investments, we maintain any uninvested cash and cash equivalents in an investment fund, which holds investments in fixed income securities in short-term, liquid investments (such as bank certificates of deposit, government securities and other cash-equivalents).
Regulation
In addition to the descriptions of regulatory matters set forth below, see the description of certain legal proceedings, including judicial and administrative proceedings relating to regulatory matters, set forth in “Item 8—Financial Information—Legal Proceedings.”
Environmental Regulation
The development of our agribusiness activities depends on a number of federal, state and municipal laws and regulations related to environmental protection. We may be subject to criminal and administrative penalties, besides being obligated to restore the environment and reimburse third parties for possible damages arising from non-compliance with such laws and regulations.
Administrative Liability
Administrative liability derives from an action or omission that results in violation of the standards of preservation, protection or restoration of the environment. Federal Decree No. 6,514 of July 22, 2008 establishes a set of sanctions that may be imposed as a result of breach of environmental regulation. Such sanctions include warning, fine, destruction of the product, suspension of activities, termination of tax benefits and credit lines granted by public institutions. Fines are determined based on the relevance and economic impact of the breach and can reach R$50.0 million. See “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors.”
Civil Liability
Under civil law, the offender is strictly liable for any environmental damage and subject to an objective standard of care, which creates liability regardless of negligence by the offender. Consequently, we are jointly liable with any third parties providing services for us to the extent their activities cause environmental damage. Environmental regulation also permits the regulator to recover damages from the controlling entity through the chain of share ownership if the direct offender is unable to pay the related damage.
Criminal Liability
Our officers, directors, employees and agents who engage in environmental crimes are subject to criminal sanctions, including fines, prison sentences and the imposition of community service requirements.
Environmental Licenses
Environmental licensing is required for activities utilizing environmental resources that are considered potentially pollutant, or those that may in any way cause environmental degradation. Some Brazilian states and Paraguay require licenses for agricultural and animal-raising activities.
The environmental licensing procedure includes “prior,” “installation” and “operating” licenses. A “prior” license is granted during the preliminary phase of planning the enterprise or activity to authorize its location and concept and attesting to its environmental feasibility. An “installation” license authorizes the installation of an enterprise or activity in accordance with the specifications stated in approved plans, programs and projects. An “operating” license authorizes an activity or enterprise to operate after the conditions stated in the “prior” licenses are fulfilled and verified, with environmental protection measures and certain conditions for operations. This last license must be renewed at the end of its period of validity, which is determined by the competent environmental agency depending on the activity being developed.
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For the Paraguay farm, we obtained the approval of the environmental impact study and we are in the process of obtaining the licenses for the suppression of vegetation for the remaining area.
For the Nova Buriti farm, we are reviewing environmental impacts to obtain licenses to produce agricultural products and raise cattle. We are also considering alternative options, such as a conservation easement, apportionment of land for an environmental reserve area and compensation for a legal reserve area.
For the Alto Taquari farm, because of a change in the state’s environmental laws, we are in the process of re-validating the licenses.
Protected Areas
All rural properties in Brazil are required by law to maintain legal reserve areas. A legal reserve area is an area of each rural property where deforestation is not allowed and that is necessary for the sustainable use of natural resources, conservation and rehabilitation of ecological processes, conservation of biodiversity and shelter and protection for native fauna and flora. These areas are required in perpetuity and in some cases are recorded as such in the real estate registry.
It is mandatory to maintain as legal reserve at least 80% of an agricultural property located in Floresta biome within Amazonia Legal, 35% for an agricultural property in the savannah region within Amazonia Legal and 20% for an agricultural property located in other forms of native vegetation in other regions of Brazil. In Paraguay, it is mandatory to maintain as legal reserve at least 25% of all agricultural property with more than 20 hectares in forest regions and also a corridor of native vegetation of at least 100 meters for every 100 hectares of agricultural or livestock.
All of our properties have legal reserve areas, although a part thereof has legal reserves that are in the process of being recorded at the offices of the applicable government agency. Additionally, environmental laws protect other areas, such as permanent preservation areas.
Permanent preservation areas are spaces, in both public domain and private domain, where the exercise of property rights has been limited. Permanent preservation areas include the margins of any water streams, the surroundings of headwaters and of natural water reservoirs, as well as lands inclined more than 45º. It will only be possible to modify these areas through previous authorization by the competent state environmental body.
In addition to these areas, there are also areas for environmental compensation, and ecological corridors, which safeguard interconnection of fragments of vegetation, ensuring protection of local biodiversity. Protected areas may not be suppressed, and may be used only under a regime of sustainable forest stewardship in accordance with technical and scientific criteria set forth in applicable regulations.
A total of 66,503 hectares, or approximately 28.1 % of the total area of our properties, consist of protected areas.
Rural Environmental Register (CAR)
In Brazil, all rural properties are required by law (Law No. 12.651/12 and Decrees Nos. 7.830/2012 and 8.235/2014) to register with the rural environmental register (CAR). This electronic registration integrates environmental information regarding the property, deforestation control, the monitoring and combating of forests and other forms of native vegetation, as well as environmental and economic planning of rural properties. The CAR gathers environmental information for each property regarding the situation of permanent preservation areas, legal reserve areas, forests and remnants of native vegetation, restricted use areas, consolidated areas, etc.
This register requires the rural proprietary to regularize their environmental situation. It is a requirement to have access to credit, however, sanctions are not imposed for those who are not registered with CAR.
All of our owned properties are registered with CAR.
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Ownership of Agricultural Land in Brazil by Foreigners
On August 23, 2010, opinion No. LA-01, of August 19, 2010, issued by the Federal Attorney General (AGU) was approved by the President of Brazil. The opinion addresses the purchase and lease of agricultural properties by Brazilian companies controlled by foreign individuals or legal entities holding the control of the capital stock of a company that owns land in Brazil. The Federal Attorney General’s opinion provides that Brazilian companies controlled by non-Brazilians require prior authorization to purchase agricultural properties and are subject to restrictions, including the following:
New acquisitions or new lease agreements of agricultural properties by companies controlled by non-Brazilians within the above-mentioned limits must be previously approved by INCRA. The request for the approval must be filed at the Regional Branch of INCRA (Superintendência Regional) of the State where the property is located. After that, INCRA will analyze the compliance with the above-mentioned requirements and if the transaction is approved by INCRA, it will issue a certificate of approval. The purchase and lease of agricultural properties beyond the limits of areas and percentages mentioned above require prior authorization from the Brazilian Congress.
In both cases, it is not possible to determine an estimated time frame for the approval procedure, since up to the date of the issuance hereof, there is no report involving the issuance of such a certificate. Moreover, for the time being, Brazilian courts have not yet ruled on the effectiveness and constitutionality of the contents of the aforementioned Attorney General’s Opinion.
As of June 30, 2019, approximately 74.4% of our common shares were held by foreigners.
On December 11, 2012, São Paulo’s General Comptroller of Justice (Corregedoria Geral de Justiça do Estado de São Paulo) issued Opinion No. 461/2012-E, establishing that entities providing notary and registrar services located in the State of São Paulo are exempt from observing certain restrictions and requirements imposed by Brazilian Federal Law No. 5,709/71 and Decree No. 74,965/74, regarding Brazilian companies with the majority of the capital stock comprised by foreigners residing outside of Brazil or legal entities incorporated abroad. In April 2013, the Regional Federal Court for the Third Region (Tribunal Regional Federal da 3ª Região – TRF) granted an injunction in the context of a claim brought by INCRA and the Federal Government against São Paulo’s General Comptroller of Justice Opinion No. 461/2012-E, suspending the effects of such opinion. In August 2013, the Regional Federal Court of the Third Region acknowledged its lack of jurisdiction to rule on such claim and sent the court records of the case to São Paulo State Appeals Court (Tribunal de Justiça do Estado de São Paulo). As a consequence of such decision, the injunction granted by the Regional Federal Court of the Third Region was set aside, and both INCRA and the Federal Government had declined on the claim. Since then, entities providing notary and registry services located in the State of São Paulo are, over again, exempt from observing certain restrictions and requirements imposed by Law No. 5,709/71 and Decree No. 74,965/74.
On June 25, 2014, the AGU and INCRA filed a suit with the Supreme Court (STF) against the State of São Paulo due to the decision ruled by São Paulo State Appeals Court which judged the Opinion 1 issued by AGU in 2010, unconstitutional. In this suit the stay of the preliminary order was required and, in the end, the definite annulment of Opinion 461-12-E of the Inspector General Office of São Paulo, issued on December 3, 2012. On August 7, 2014, the decision issued by Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurélio Mello, rapporteur of the process, was published, denying the injunction requested by AGU and INCRA, on the basis that the fact that more than one year and 7 months elapsed since from the issuance of the opinion of the Inspector General Office of São Paulo and the filing of the suit with STF, showing that there was no urgency in the analysis of the injunction request. In September 2016, Supreme Court Justice Marco Aurélio Mello suspended the effects of said decision issued by the São Paulo Justice Court that considered that the Opinion issued by the AGU in 2010 as unconstitutional.
In addition, on April 16, 2015, the Brazilian Rural Society filed a claim for the acknowledgment of non-compliance with basic principles (ADPF) under certain provisions of the Brazilian Constitution with the Supreme Court in order to (i) declare that the paragraph 1 of article 1 of Law No. 5,709/1971 was not received by the 1988 Federal Constitution and (ii) reverse the opinion of the Federal Attorney General of 2010 (Opinion No. LA-01).
As of the date hereof, we are not able to provide an estimate of the timeframe for a final judgment in any of these lawsuits to be ruled by the STF.
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The diagram below illustrates our corporate structure os of September 30, 2019. All of our subsidiaries are incorporated in Brazil and Paraguay.
See “—History and Development of the Company—Overview,” “—Business Overview—Agricultural Activities and Products,” “—Business Overview—Leases,” “—Business Overview—Investment Properties,” “—Business Overview—Agricultural Properties,” “—Business Overview— Environmental Regulation” and “—Business Overview—Environmental Licenses.”
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ITEM 4A—UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
There are no unresolved staff comments as of the date of this annual report.
ITEM 5—OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
You should read the following discussion in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included elsewhere in this report. Our audited annual consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by IASB.
Business Drivers and Measures
Brazilian Macroeconomic Environment
Our financial condition and results of operations are influenced by the Brazilian economic environment.
Brazilian GDP decreased 3.8% in 2015 and 3.6 % in 2016, increased 1.0% in 2017, 1.1% in 2018 and 0.7% in the first six months of 2019. Inflation, as measured by the Broad Consumer Price Index (Índice de Preços ao Consumidor Amplo), or IPCA, published by IBGE, was 10.7%, 6.28%, 2.95% and 3.75% per year in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, and 2.23% in the first six months of 2019. The U.S. dollar appreciated 45.0% against the real in 2015, depreciated 16.5% in 2016, 1.5% in 2017 and 17.1% in 2018. In the six months ended June 30, 2019, the real appreciated 1.1% against the U.S. dollar. Unemployment in Brazil increased from 6.8% in January 2014 to 12.0% in June 2019. International reserves held by the Central Bank of Brazil decreased from US$376.7 billion as of September 30, 2016 to US$376.4 billion as of September 30, 2019.
The long-term credit rating for Brazil was downgraded by Standard & Poor’s from BBB- to BB-, by Moody’s from “Baa2” to “Ba2” and by Fitch Ratings from BBB- to BB-, placing Brazil back on speculative investment grade level (“junk”).
The current scenario is that the external vulnerability of Brazil may grow in the coming years, which may result in a deficit in the current account, since the entry of direct foreign investments may not be sufficient to cover the foreign debt.
Other Factors Affecting our Business
Market price variations for commodities: our principal products are subject to changes in commodities prices, including those of indexes such as the Intercontinental Exchange and the CBOT, exchange rates, as well as other indexes linked to our debts. Commodity prices are generally influenced by international, domestic and local supply and demand, which are in turn influenced by climactic and weather conditions, technology, and economic, commercial and political conditions, as well as exchange rates and transportation costs. For more information, see “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to our Business and Industry—Fluctuation in market prices for our agricultural products could adversely affect us” and “— Qualitative Evaluation of Market Risks.”
Foreign exchange: a portion of our income (loss) is linked to the exchange rate between the real and the U.S. dollar, and consequently our revenue is sensitive to foreign exchange fluctuations. Certain of our commodities, such as soybean, may be priced in reaisor in U.S. dollars. In addition, certain of the raw materials necessary for farming activities, such as chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers, are priced in or based on the U.S. dollar. See “Item 3—Key Information—Exchange Rates.”
Inflation: inflation does not directly affect our revenue because our products are commodities whose prices are determined by reference to international commodity exchanges. Nevertheless, our labor and other operating costs are affected by inflation which directly affects our results of operations.
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The table below sets forth certain market indices that affect our operating and financial results:
Principal Components of Our Statement of Operations
Revenue
Our operating revenue is derived mainly from the sale of (i) grains (comprised of soybean, corn, and sorghum); (ii) sugarcane; (iii) cattle and (iv) other farming products.
Taxes on sales
Taxes on sales vary depending on the product and the market, as follows:
These are the primary taxes on sales:
ICMS (Value-Added Tax on Sales and Services): ICMS is a state tax levied on the price of a product at an average rate of 18% for transactions within a state and 7% to 12% for transactions across states. ICMS payments are not applicable to exports of goods and services.
Federal Social Integration Program (Programa de Integração Social, or PIS) and Social Security Financing Contribution (Contribuição para o Financiamento da Seguridade Social, or COFINS): PIS and COFINS tax payments, levied at (i) 0.65% and 3.0% of gross revenue, respectively (cumulative) or (ii) 1.65% and 7.6%, respectively, after certain deductions (non-cumulative), depending on the business conducted and the nature of revenue earned, among other factors. PIS and COFINS payments are not applicable to exports of goods and services, or sales to import/export companies located in Brazil. Since we sell the entirety of our soybean production to such companies, such activities are not subject to PIS or COFINS payments. Brazilian law also exempts PIS and COFINS payments upon the sale of sugarcane used for the production of ethanol or biofuel, sale of maize to rural producers and manufacturers of animal feed and food and the sale of cattle.
Rural Workers Assistance Fund (Fundo do Produtor Rural, or FUNRURAL): Agricultural producers are subject to a tax of 2.3% to 2.85%, levied on total output sold. The FUNRURAL tax is not payable on exports of goods and services, but applies on direct sales to import/export companies located in Brazil.
Gain (loss) on sale of farms
Upon the sale of investment property, such as our farms, we recognize in the statement of operations a gain (loss) for the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying amount of the property sold. We account for our investment properties at cost.
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Changes in fair value of biological assets
Our biological assets consist mainly of the cultivation of soybean, corn, cotton, sorghum, sugarcane and cattle raising (see livestock), which are measured at fair value less cost to sell.
The fair value of biological assets is determined upon their initial recognition and at each subsequent balance sheet date. Gains and losses arising from the changes in fair value of biological assets is determined as the difference between fair value and the costs incurred in the plantation and treatment of crops of biological assets at the balance sheet date, and are recorded in the statement of operations in “Changes in fair value of biological assets.” In certain circumstances, the estimated fair value less cost to sell approximate cost incurred at that moment, especially when only a minor biological transformation has taken place or when no material impact is expected from that biological transformation on the price. Biological assets continue to be recorded at their fair value.
The sugarcane crop productive cycle is five years on average, and for a new cycle to start depends on the completion of the previous cycle. In this regard, the current cycle is classified as biological asset in current assets, and the amount of the constitution of the bearer plant (bearer of the other cycles) are classified as permanent culture in property, plant and equipment. The calculation to estimate the value of the biological asset “sugarcane” was the discounted cash flow at a rate reflecting the risks and the terms of the operation. As a result, we projected the future cash flows in accordance with the projected productivity cycle, taking into consideration the estimated useful life of each area, the prices of total sugar recoverable, estimated productivity and the related estimated costs of production, including the cost of land, harvest, loading and transportation for each hectare planted. The soybean, corn and sorghum are temporary cultures, in which the agricultural product is harvested after a period of time spanning from 110 to 180 days after the planting date, depending on the cultivation, variety, geographic location and climate conditions. The calculation methodology used to estimate the value of the grains was the discounted cash flows at a rate reflecting the risk and terms of operations. As a result, we projected the future cash flows taking into consideration the estimated productivity, costs to be incurred based on the Company’s budget or on new internal estimates and market prices. The commodities’ prices available in futures markets, were obtained from quotes on the following boards of trade: CBOT (“Chicago Board of Trade”), BM&F (Bolsa de Mercadorias e Futuros), and NYBOT (“New York Board of Trade”). For the agricultural products not quoted in these markets, we used the prices obtained through direct market surveys or disclosed by specialized companies. We considered the related logistic expenses and tax discounts in order to arrive at the prices of each of these products in each production unit of the Company.
As mentioned above, the fair value of the biological assets disclosed in the balance sheet was determined using valuation techniques – the discounted cash flows method. The data used in these methods is based on the information observed in the market, whenever possible, and if unavailable, a certain level of judgment is required to establish such fair value. Judgment is used the data to be used, e.g. price, productivity and production cost. Changes in the assumptions on these inputs might affect the fair value of biological assets.
In 2016 the we began cattle raising operations, which typically consists of producing and selling beef calves after weaning, which characterizes the activity as breeding.
For segregation purposes, when applicable, the Company classifies its cattle herd into: beef cattle (current assets), which can be sold as a biological asset for meat production; and dairy cattle (non-current assets), which is used in farm operations to generate other biological assets. Up to the reporting date the Company only had beef cattle, which includes calves, heifers, cows and bulls.
The fair value of beef cattle is determined based on market prices, given the existence of an active market. Gain or loss from changes in the fair value of beef cattle is recognized in profit or loss for the period. The Company considered the prices in the cattle market in Bahia state and the metrics used in the market. Accordingly, beef and dairy cattle are measured based on arroba and the age bracket of animals.
Adjustment to net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest
Agricultural products from biological assets are measured at fair value when they are ready to be harvested, less selling expenses, when they are reclassified from biological assets to inventories.
A provision for adjustment of agricultural products to net realizable value is recognized when the fair value recorded in inventories is higher than the net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less estimated costs to sell. Adjustments to net realizable value are recognized in the statement of operations in “Adjustment of net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest.”
Cost of sales
Cost of sales for sugarcane and grains includes: (i) the historical cost of the inventories including costs of raw materials such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, fuels and lubricants, as well as labor, maintenance of machines and agricultural equipment, depreciation and amortization and (ii) the difference between such historical cost and the fair value of the grains and sugarcane at the time of harvest.
Operating expenses
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Financial income and expenses
Financial income and expenses consist mainly of interest from financial investments, foreign exchange variations, monetary variations, interest on financial assets and liabilities and realized and unrealized gains (losses) with derivative financial instruments.
Income and social contribution-current and deferred taxes
Current and deferred income and social contribution taxes refer to taxes on net profits. We and our subsidiaries Jaborandi Agrícola Ltda. and Cremaq Ltda. assess such taxes under the taxable income regime, with a maximum rate of 34%, consisting of: (i) income tax, at a rate of 15% of profits; (ii) income tax surcharge of 10% levied upon profits exceeding R$240,000 per year; (iii) social contribution tax on net profit, at a rate of 9%; and (iv) deferred income and social contribution taxes.
Our other subsidiaries assess such taxes under the presumed profit regime under which the tax base is computed as a percentage of revenue. This consists of income and social contribution taxes at a rate of 15% (plus a 10% surcharge for amounts exceeding R$240,000 per year) and 9%, respectively, levied on (i) 8% and 12%, respectively, of property sales; (ii) 32% of leases and services; and (iii) other revenue and capital gains.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS. We summarize our significant accounting policies, judgments and estimates in note 2 to our audited consolidated financial statements.
The critical accounting policies described herein are important to the presentation of our financial condition and results of operations, requiring the most difficult, subjective and complex judgments by our management, often as a result of the need to make estimates and assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain. While preparing our financial statements, our management uses estimates and assumptions to record assets, liabilities and transactions. Our financial statements include different subjective and complex estimates regarding, among others, accounting for revenue recognition for grains and farm sales and related accounts receivable, determining the fair value of derivatives, biological assets and accounting for investments in investment properties, warrant, residual value and useful life of property, plant and equipment, deferred taxes, share base payment and legal claims. In order to provide a better understanding of how our management makes its judgments about future events, including the variables and assumptions underlying such estimates, we have identified the following critical accounting policies.
Fair value of biological assets
The fair value of biological assets is determined using valuation techniques, including the discounted cash flows method. The inputs for estimates are based on market information, whenever possible, and when such inputs are not available, a certain level of judgment is required to estimate the fair value. Judgment involves, for example, price, productivity, crop cost and production cost. Changes in the assumptions involving any of these factors may affect the fair value calculations of biological assets.
With regard to cattle, the Company values its breeding stock at fair value based on market price for the region.
Residual amount and useful life of property, plant and equipment and investment properties
The residual amount and useful life of assets are assessed and adjusted when necessary at the end of each reporting period. The carrying amount of the asset is immediately reduced to its recoverable value if the carrying amount is estimated to exceed the recoverable value.
Legal claims
We are party to judicial and administrative lawsuits, as described in Item 8-Financial Information-Legal Proceedings. Provisions are recorded for contingencies related to judicial lawsuits that are estimated to represent probable losses (present obligations resulting from past events where an outflow of resources is probable and can be reliably estimated). The evaluation of the probability of loss includes the opinion of external legal advisors. Management believes that these contingencies are properly recorded and presented in the financial statements.
Revenue from contracts with customers
We recognize our revenue in an amount that reflects the Company’s expected consideration in exchange for the transfer of good or services to a client when all performance obligations have been fulfilled.
Sale of goods
Our revenue from grain and sugarcane sales is recognized when performance obligations are met, which consists of transferring the significant risks and benefits of ownership of the goods are transferred to the purchaser, usually when the products are delivered to the purchaser at the determined location, according to the agreed sales terms.
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In the case of grains, we normally perform forward contracts where the price is set up by us for the total or partial volume of grains to be sold at the delivery date, based on the calculations agreed on the selling contracts. Certain selling contracts are established in U.S. dollars where the amount in reais is also established based on the foreign exchange rate according to the sale terms. The price can also be adjusted by other factors, such as humidity and other technical characteristics of grains. Upon the grains delivery, the revenue is recognized based on the price established with each purchaser considering the foreign exchange rate on the delivery date. After the grains are delivered to the addressee, the quality and final weight are evaluated, thus determining the final price of the transaction, and adjusting the contractual amounts in accordance with such factors as well as by the foreign exchange rate variation up to the settlement date.
As for the sale of sugarcane, the Company generally enters into sales contracts for future delivery where data such as volume and minimum ATR are pre-fixed. The price of sugarcane takes into account the amount of ATR per ton of sugar cane delivered, and the value of the ATR, released monthly by CONSECANA.
Sale of farms
Sales of farms are not recognized until the performance obligation is met, which happens when: (i) control of the asset has been transferred; (ii) the Company has determined that it is probable the sale price will be collected; and (iii) the amount of revenue can be reliably measured. Usually these are met when the buyer makes the first down payment, and transfer of possession of the asset is completed, according to the contractual terms. The result from sales of farms is presented in the statement of operations as “Gain on sale of farm” at net value of the related cost.
Revenue from cattle raising
Revenue from the sale of beef cattle is recognized when the related performance obligations are met, which consists of transferring control of the cattle to the buyer, usually when the cattle is delivered to the buyer at a specific place, in accordance with the contractual terms.
The beef cattle raising business consists of the production and sale of beef calves after weaning (rearing process). Some animals that prove to be infertile may be sold to meat packers for slaughtering. At the Paraguay operations, the business consists of growing and selling these animals for slaughtering. The price for the sale of cattle is based on the market price of the arroba of fed cattle in the respective market on the transaction date, the animal weight, plus the premium related to the category. The sale of cattle in Brazil and Paraguay operations, in turn, considers the price of the arroba of fed cattle or heifer/cow on the date of sale in the respective market, applied to carcass yields.
Revenue from leasing of land
The revenues from operating lease of land are recognized on a straight-line basis over the leasing period. When the lease price is defined in quantities of agricultural products or livestock, the lease amount is recognized considering the price of the agricultural product or livestock effective at the balance sheet date or at the date established in contract. The amounts received in advance as leasing, where applicable, are recognized in current liabilities. Leasing revenues in which a significant portion of the risks and benefits of ownership are retained by the lessor are classified as operating leases.
The land of rural properties purchased by us is measured at acquisition cost, which does not exceed its net realizable value and is presented in “Non-current assets.” The fair value of the investment properties are obtained through valuation reports of the farms prepared by internal experts. The valuation is carried out according to market practices. Certain factors such as location, type of soil, climate of the region, calculation of the improvements, presentation of the elements and calculation of the land value are all taken into account during the valuation process.
Deferred income and social contribution taxes
Deferred income and social contribution taxes are calculated to take into account all tax timing differences as follows: (1) income or expenses which are not yet taxable or deductible, such as gain on fair value of biological assets and provisions for contingencies, respectively; and (2) tax loss carryforwards, which have no expiration, when realization or recovery in future periods is considered probable.
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Deferred tax assets are generated under the taxable income regime only, based on our business plan. The business plan includes consideration of a variety of factors including the 30% annual limitation for utilizing tax loss carryforwards and changes in the Brazilian economic conditions. We evaluate whether a valuation allowance is required for these assets and deferred tax assets are recognized only to the extent that is probable that the temporary differences will reverse in the foreseeable future and taxable profit will be available against which the temporary differences can be utilized, otherwise a valuation allowance is recorded. We also include in our evaluation the limitation of utilizing up to only 30% of annual taxable income in connection with recognition of tax loss carryforwards.
Fair value of financial instruments
When the fair value of the financial assets and liabilities presented in the balance sheet cannot be obtained in the active market, it is determined using valuation techniques, including the discounted cash flow method. The data for such methods is based on those practiced in the market, when possible; however, when it is not viable, a certain level of judgment is required to establish the fair value. The judgment includes considerations on the data used, such as liquidity risk, credit risk, and volatility. Changes in the assumptions about these factors may affect the presented fair value of financial instruments.
Transactions with share-based payment
We measure the cost of transactions to be settled with shares with employees based on the fair value of equity instruments on the grant date. The estimate of the fair value of share-based payments requires the determination of the most adequate pricing model to grant equity instruments, which depends on the grant terms and conditions. It also requires the determination of the most adequate data for the pricing model, including the expected option life, volatility and dividend yield, and the corresponding assumptions.
New standards, alterations and interpretations of standards
At the date of this annual report, the following amendments in IFRS had been issued but are not yet effective:
The standard will be effective for the Company for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2019. The Company will adopt the standard retrospectively by recognizing the cumulative impact of its initial adoption in opening retained earnings (i.e. the difference between the right-of-use asset and the lease liability). The Company will measure the right-of-use asset at an amount equal to the lease liability on July 1, 2019, calculated at present value by the incremental borrowing rate of the lessee on the transition date. Therefore, with the identification of contracts that could be subject to the standard, the Company started to examine the inherent characteristics of each transaction and the treatment to be given to the components of lease agreements, particularly those pegged to land leases, which include, in their majority, the payment of an amount in reaiscorresponding to a fixed volume of soybean or sugarcane, for example, on a certain date. This assessment is currently ongoing considering the complexity of the factors involved, which include determining the discount rate to be applied, seeking to adjust to present value the projected cash flows based on the underlying commodities that back the value of the lease, the presentation net or gross of taxes, derivatives and other items, therefore, the Company did not conclude the measurement of IFRS 16 adoption. Consistent with the guidance, the Company will not apply this standard to short-term leases and leases for which the underlying asset is of low value.
The Interpretation addresses the accounting for income taxes when tax treatments involve uncertainty that affects the application of IAS 12 and does not apply to taxes or levies outside the scope of IAS 12, nor does it specifically include requirements relating to interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax treatments.
The Interpretation specifically addresses the following: (i) whether an entity considers uncertain tax treatments separately; (ii) the assumptions an entity makes about the examination of tax treatments by taxation authorities; (iii) how an entity determines taxable profit (tax loss), tax bases, unused tax losses, unused tax credits and tax rates; and (iv) how an entity considers changes in facts and circumstances.
An entity must determine whether to consider each uncertain tax treatment separately or together with one or more other uncertain tax treatments. The approach that better predicts the resolution of the uncertainty should be followed. The Interpretation is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, but certain transition reliefs are available. The Company will apply the Interpretation from its effective date. The Company is assessing the potential effect of the amendments on its consolidated financial statements.
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An entity must apply these changes to business combinations for which the date of acquisition starts on the first day of the first annual period beginning on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. These changes apply to the Company’s future business combinations.
An entity must apply these changes to the operations whose control was obtained as from the start of the first annual period beginning on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Currently, none of the changes are applicable to the Company, although they could become applicable to future transactions.
An entity must apply these changes to annual periods beginning on January 1, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. Following the initial adoption of the changes, the entity must apply them to the consequences of income tax on dividends recognized as from the beginning of the earlier comparison period. Since our current practice already complies with these changes, no impact is expected on our consolidated financial statements.
The following standards and amendments are already effective for the Company’s fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2019:
Starting July 1, 2018, the Company applies IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments as the basis for recognition, classification and measurement of financial instruments.
The main aspects of the new standard applicable to the Company are described below:
IFRS 9 contains a new approach for the classification and measurement of financial assets that reflect the business model under which assets and their cash flow characteristics are managed. It contains three main categories to classify financial instruments: measured at amortized cost, at fair value through other comprehensive income, and at fair value through profit or loss. The standard eliminates the categories existing in IAS 39 of financial instruments held to maturity, loans and receivables and financial instruments available for sale. This change of nomenclature does not alter how financial instruments are subsequently measured; it only impacts the disclosure of financial instruments by category in the financial statements.
The new standard replaced the “incurred losses” model of IAS 39 for a prospective model of “expected credit losses.” This will require significant judgment on how changes in economic factors affect expected credit losses. Such provisions will be measured in credit losses expected for 12 months and credit losses expected for the lifetime of the asset, that is, credit losses that result from all possible default events throughout the expected life of a financial instrument.
The Company applied the simplified approach of IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments to measure the credit losses expected throughout the expected life of the financial instrument.
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During the year, the Company carried out a detailed evaluation of the impact of IFRS 9 aspects. The conclusion of the evaluation is that there is no relevant impact on the adoption of IFRS 9 on impairment of financial assets due to the fact that the Company already analyses each client individually for expected losses and the level of losses incurred in receivables is not relevant.
Starting from July 1, 2018, the Company adopts IFRS 15 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
The standard provides the principles to be applied by an entity to determine the measurement of revenue and how and when it must be recognized, based on five steps: (i) identification of the agreements with clients; (ii) identification of the performance obligations in connection with the agreements; (iii) determination of the transaction price; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in connection with the agreements; and (v) recognition of revenue when the performance obligation is fulfilled.
The changes establish the criteria for measurement and registration of sales, as they were effectively made with due presentation, as well as registration of the values to which the Company is entitled in the operation, considering any estimates of impairment loss.
In preparing to adopt IFRS 15, the Company is considering the following:
Revenue from sales of agricultural products is recognized when performance obligations are met, which consists of transferring the significant risks and benefits of ownership of the goods to the purchaser, usually when the products are delivered to the purchaser at the determined location, according to the agreed sales terms.
Revenue from sale of farms is not recognized until the performance obligations are met, which consists of: (i) control of the asset has been transferred (ii) the Company has determined that it is probable the sale price will be collected, (iii) and the amount of revenue can be reliably measured. Usually these are met when the buyer makes the first down payment, and transfer of possession of the asset is completed, according to the contractual terms.
The presentation and disclosure requirements in IFRS 15 are more detailed than under current IFRS. The presentation requirements represent a significant change from current practice and increases the volume of disclosures required in the Company’s financial statements. As required by IFRS 15, the Company will disaggregate revenue recognized from contracts with customers into categories that depict how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. It will also disclose information about the relationship between the disclosure of disaggregated revenue and revenue information disclose for each reportable segment.
The Company analyzed the new standard and identified no relevant impacts on their financial statements, considering the nature of their sale transactions, in which performance obligations are clear and the transfer of control over assets is not complex (it is made to the extent the ownership and benefit are transferred to the beneficiaries).
On adoption, entities are required to apply the amendments without restating prior periods, but retrospective application is permitted if elected for all three amendments and other criteria are met. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018, with early application permitted. The Company does not expect any impacts on its consolidated financial statements.
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The amendments clarify when an entity should transfer property, including property under construction or development into, or out of investment property. The amendments state that a change in use occurs when the property meets, or ceases to meet, the definition of investment property and there is evidence of the change in use. A mere change in management’s intentions for the use of a property does not provide evidence of a change in use. Entities should apply the amendments prospectively to changes in use that occur on or after the beginning of the annual reporting period in which the entity first applies the amendments. An entity should reassess the classification of property held at that date and, if applicable, reclassify property to reflect the conditions that exist at that date.
Retrospective application in accordance with IAS 8 is only permitted if it is possible without the use of hindsight. Effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Early application of the amendments is permitted and must be disclosed. The Company applied the amendments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018. However, since the previous practice was in line with the clarifications issued, there was no impact on its consolidated financial statements.
The Interpretation clarifies that, in determining the spot exchange rate to use on initial recognition of the related asset, expense or income (or part of it) on the derecognition of a non-monetary asset or non-monetary liability relating to advance consideration, the date of the transaction is the date on which an entity initially recognizes the non-monetary asset or non-monetary liability arising from the advance consideration. If there are multiple payments or receipts in advance, then the entity must determine the transaction date for each payment or receipt of advance consideration. Entities may apply the amendments on a fully retrospective basis.
Alternatively, an entity may apply the Interpretation prospectively to all assets, expenses and income in its scope that are initially recognized on or after: (i) the beginning of the reporting period in which the entity first applies the interpretation; or (ii) the beginning of a prior reporting period presented as comparative information in the financial statements of the reporting period in which the entity first applies the interpretation.
The Company applied the amendments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2018. However, since the previous practice was in line with the Interpretation, there was no impact on its consolidated financial statements.
JOBS Act
On April 5, 2012, the JOBS Act was signed into law. The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain requirements for qualifying public companies.
Subject to certain conditions set forth in the JOBS Act, if, as an “emerging growth company,” we choose to rely on such exemptions, we may not be required to, among other things, provide an auditor’s attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to comply with any PCAOB rules, that, if adopted in the future, would require mandatory audit firm rotation and auditor discussion and analysis pursuant to any future audit rule promulgated by the PCAOB. These exemptions apply until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” The JOBS Act also provides “emerging growth companies” an election to comply with new or revised accounting standards on a delayed basis for those standards that have a different effective date for public and private companies. However, such election is limited to companies that prepare their financial statements and report in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. As our financial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS, such accommodation is not available to us, and we will be required to apply new or revised accounting standards under IFRS as from the effective date established in the corresponding standard.
Recent Developments
On June 27, 2019, our board of directors approved an investment of US$1.0 million in Ag-Fintech Agrofy, or Agrofy, which represents a 1.8% stake in the share capital of such company. On September 23, 2019, we made a payment in the amount of 50% of the invesment to Agrofy, and the remaining balance will be paid by December 2019.
Agrofy is an online marketplace that offers a complete range of e-commerce solutions customized to meet the needs of retailers and their partners, seeking an alternative way of connecting farmers and suppliers. Agrofy was founded in 2015 and has become the fastest-growing agribusiness website in Latin America, reaching almost two million monthly visits and offering more than 84 thousand products of approximately 8.1 thousand companies on its e-commerce platform, which includes some of the biggest multinational agribusiness companies as clients.
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Results of Operations
The following discussion of our results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS. The discussion of the results of our business segments is based upon financial information reported for each of the segments of our business, as presented in the table below.
The following tables set forth operating results of each of our segments and the reconciliation of these results to our consolidated statement of income.
Year Ended June 30, 2019
(in R$ thousands)
Total
Real estate
Cotton
Cattle raising
Other
Corporate
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Year Ended June 30, 2018
Year Ended June 30, 2017
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The table below shows a summary of our statement of operations for the years indicated.
Year Ended June 30, 2019 Compared to Year Ended June 30, 2018
Net revenue
Net revenue increased R$113.6 million from R$244.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$357.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. This increase was mainly due to the following:
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The table below shows a summary of the number of hectares harvested, productivity and revenues from grain and sugarcane production:
Gain on sale of farms
For the year ended June 30, 2019, we sold 13,011 hectares of the Jatobá and Alto Taquari Farms in the States of Bahia and Mato Grosso, respectively, for R$177.2 million at a cost of R$34.4 million, including indirect taxes. For the year ended June 30, 2018, we sold 956 hectares of the Araucária Farm in the State of Goiás for R$52.4 million at a cost of R$12.6 million, including indirect taxes. In addition, a total of R$3.8 million was recorded in the year ended June 30, 2019 related to the sale of Fazenda Cremaq in 2015, relating to an area of 6,020 hectares that was in the process of a geo-referencing dismemberment which caused registration of the real estate to be pending. Once the registration was effected, the amount was released and recorded.
Changes in fair value of biological assets and agricultural products
Changes in fair value of biological assets and agricultural products decreased R$42.4 million from a gain of R$99.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to a gain of R$56.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. This variation resulted mainly from the decrease in the fair value of biological assets and agricultural products of grains from a gain of R$54.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to a gain of R$18.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. Such variation was mainly due to a decrease in the soybean and corn yields in relation to the previous year. In addition, the fair value of biological assets and agricultural products of sugarcane varied from a gain of R$43.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to a gain of R$34.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. Such variation was a result of the decrease in productivity due to rainfall levels.
Adjustments to net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest
We recognized a reversal of impairment of net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest of R$0.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. For the year ended June 30, 2019, we recognized an impairment of net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest of R$2.0 million. Such variations resulted from the decrease in the corn and soybean prices from the harvest time to the end of the respective fiscal year.
Cost of sales increased R$90.9 million from R$228.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$319.2 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. Changes in costs year-over-year are directly linked to the market prices of commodities at the time of harvest as well as the harvested volumes (tons), as explained below:
Gross profit
For the reasons mentioned above, our gross profit for the year ended June 30, 2019 was R$236.2 million, representing an increase of R$80.4 million as compared to R$155.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2018.
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Selling expenses
Selling expenses increased R$0.4 million from R$10.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$10.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2019, primarily as a result of the increase in freight expenses, which reflects the amount of grain sold in the period, from R$4.4 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$7.2 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 with an increase in the freight rate, and also an increase in the provision for expected credit losses, which were partially offset by a decrease in expenses with storage and processing.
General and administrative expenses
General and administrative expenses increased R$3.9 million from R$34.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$38.8 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. This increase was primarily a result of the expenses related to personnel due to the provision for the Long-Term Incentive Plan, the payment of bonuses and Social Security (INSS), an increase in leases and rents in general, due to the grace period agreed in the renegotiation of lease contracts, which ended last harvest, and an increase in software expenses, refering to the implementation of the esocial social security management system and to the effect of exchange rate variation on subscriptions.
Other operating income (expenses), net
For the year ended June 30, 2018, other operating income, net, amounted to R$35.4 million, which reflects the recognition of amounts incurred with the conclusion of the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca in Paraguay, in the amount of R$35.7 million, which comprise R$5.1 million of effect of fair value measurement and R$30.6 million of currency translation adjustment. For the year ended June 30, 2019, other operating expenses, net, amounted to R$1.1 million.
Equity pickup
For the year ended June 30, 2019 we recorded a gain of R$1.1 million related to the results in our investment in Cresca (compared to a gain of R$14.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2018). See “Item 4—Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Cresca”.
Financial income (expenses), net
Financial income increased R$181.2 million from R$129.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$310.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 and financial expenses increased R$159.7 million from R$137.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$297.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. The variation in financial income (expenses), net is mainly attributable to:
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Income and social contribution taxes
We recognized income and social contribution tax expenses of R$22.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 and of R$25.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. Current income and social contribution tax expenses increased from R$4.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$10.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2019. Deferred income and social contribution tax expenses decreased from R$21.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$12.2 million for the year ended June 30, 2019.
Profit for the year
As a result of the above, profit for the year ended June 30, 2019 increased to R$177.1 million as compared to R$126.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018.
Year Ended June 30, 2018 Compared to Year Ended June 30, 2017
Net revenue increased R$97.4 million from R$146.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$244.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. This increase was mainly due to the following:
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For the year ended June 30, 2018, we sold 956 hectares of the Araucária Farm in the State of Goiás for R$52.4 million at a cost of R$12.6 million, including indirect taxes. For the year ended June 30, 2017, we sold 2,259 hectares of the Araucária and Jatobá farms in the State of Goiás and Bahia, respectively for R$32.0 million at a cost of R$9.1 million. In addition, a total of R$3.8 million was recorded in the year ended June 30, 2018 related to the sale of Fazenda Cremaq in 2015, relating to an area of 6,020 hectares that was in the process of a geo-referencing dismemberment which caused registration of the real estate to be pending. Once the registration was effected, the amount was released.
Changes in fair value of biological assets and agricultural products varied R$86.8 million from a gain of R$12.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to a gain of R$99.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. This variation resulted mainly from the increase in the fair value of biological assets and agricultural products of grains from a gain of R$4.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to a gain of R$54.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. Such variation was mainly due to an increase in the soybean and corn yields in relation to the previous year. In addition, the fair value of biological assets and agricultural products of sugarcane varied from a gain of R$11.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to a gain of R$43.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. Such variation was a result of the increase in number of hectares planted due to the incorporation of 12,235 hectares of the São José Farm and also the CCT (Cutting, Loading, and Transportation) costs which were paid by the previous owner.
We recognized an impairment of net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest of R$1.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2017. For the year ended June 30, 2018, we recognized a reversal of impairment of net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest of R$0.9 million. Such variations resulted from the increase in the corn and soybean prices from the harvest time to the end of the respective fiscal year.
Cost of sales increased R$91.9 million from R$136.4 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$228.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. Changes in costs year-over-year are directly linked to the market prices of commodities at the time of harvest as well as the harvested volumes (tons), as explained below:
For the reasons mentioned above, our gross profit for the year ended June 30, 2018 was R$155.7 million, representing an increase of R$107.8 million as compared to R$47.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2017.
Selling expenses increased R$3.4 million from R$6.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$10.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2018, primarily as a result of the increase in freight expenses, which reflects the amount of grain sold in the period, from R$2.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$4.4 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 and the increase in storage and processing expenses due to the incorporation of a storage silo at the São José Farm in the state of Maranhão.
General and administrative expenses increased R$4.0 million from R$30.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$34.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. This increase was primarily a result of the expenses related to operation in Paraguay, which were previously accounted for under the equity method and now were consolidated into our results, as a result of the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of Cresca, the joint-controlled entity in Paraguay, as detailed in note 1.1 to the financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report, and R$474 thousand increase in taxes payable due to the incorporation of production areas and adjustments in raw land value, which affected the Tax on Territorial Rural Property (ITR) and other taxes.
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For the year ended June 30, 2017, other operating expenses, net, amounted to R$6.0 million, mainly due to the management fee reversal of Cresca, totaling R$3.3 million, and termination costs incurred in the period, relating to the resignation of our Chief Executive Officer. For the year ended June 30, 2018, other operating income, net amounted to R$35.4 million, which reflects the recognition of amounts incurred with the conclusion of the re-distribution of assets and liabilities of the Cresca operation in Paraguay, in the amount of R$35.7 million, which comprise R$5.1 million of effect of fair value measurement and R$30.6 million of currency translation adjustment.
For the year ended June 30, 2018, we recorded a gain of R$14.7 million related to the results in our investment in Cresca (a loss of R$4.4 million for the year ended June 30, 2017). See “Item 4—Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Cresca”.
Financial income increased R$19.2 million from R$110.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$129.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 and financial expenses increased R$61.3 million from R$76.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$137.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. The variation in financial income (expenses), net is mainly attributable to:
We recognized income and social contribution tax expenses of R$25.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 and of R$6.0 million for the same period in 2017. Current income and social contribution tax expenses increased from R$4.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$4.9 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. Deferred income and social contribution tax expenses increased from R$1.8 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to R$21.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2018.
Profit (loss) for the year
As a result of the above, profit for the year ended June 30, 2018, increased to R$126.3 million as compared to R$27.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2017.
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As of June 30, 2019, we held R$119.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. We usually hold cash and cash equivalents in Certificate of Deposits and Repurchase Agreements issued by banks rated at least AA by Moody’s and Brazilian and American treasury bonds. Of the total amount of cash and cash equivalents, approximately R$21.4 million was held in jurisdictions outside Brazil and as a result there may be tax consequences if such amounts were moved out of these jurisdictions or repatriated to Brazil. We regularly review the amount of cash and cash equivalents held outside of Brazil to determine the amounts necessary to fund the current operations of our foreign operations and their growth initiatives and amounts needed to service our Brazilian indebtedness and related obligations.
Throughout the year, our working capital needs vary significantly depending on the harvest period of grains, sugarcane and other crops in Brazil.
See “Item 4—Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Seasonality.”
We believe that our current capital resources, together with our ability to obtain loans and credit facilities and, when appropriate, to raise equity in the capital markets, are sufficient to meet our present cash flow needs.
Sources and Uses of Funds
We finance our investments both by using our own resources as well as through loans and credit facilities with development banks and governmental development agencies, under which interest rates are lower than market rates, due to the fact that such credit facilities have long-term characteristics. Our principal sources of financing are discussed below under the heading “Indebtedness and cash and cash equivalents” and our main uses of funds include acquisition of land, cultivation of sugarcane, improvements and acquisition of machinery and vehicles.
The investments made in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019 totaled R$27.0 million, all of which were used for the development of land for cultivation of grains, sugarcane and pasture.
Cash Flows
Our cash flow generation from operating activities may vary from period to period depending on fluctuations in our sales and service revenue, costs of goods sold and operating income (expenses) and may also vary within such periods as a result of seasonality. Operating activities primarily refer to revenue generated from the sale of grains and sugarcane.
Investing activities primarily refer to the acquisition of agricultural properties, developing of such properties for cultivation, purchasing machines, and remodeling, construction and improvements to agricultural properties and sale of farms.
Financing activities primarily refer to loans and credit facilities, principally from development banks, for the development of new projects and the purchase of machines and equipment.
The table below presents our cash flows for the periods indicated.
Years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018
Operating activities: Net cash generated from operating activities was R$ 51.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 compared to net cash used in operating activities of R$2.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. This change was primarily due to: (i) R$30.6 million adjustment to reconcile profit for the year related to currency translation adjustment recycled to the statement of income in connection with the process of re-distributing the assets and liabilities of a joint venture (Cresca) for the year ended June 30, 2018, which did not occour in the year ended June 30, 2019; (ii) an increase in cash flows from transactions with derivative financial instruments from cash used of R$17.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 to cash generated of R$19.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2019; (iii) a decrease in cash flows from changes in fair value of biological assets and agricultural products from cash used of R$99.1 millhon for the year ended June 30, 2018 to cash used of R$56.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2019; and (iv) a decrease in cash flows from inventories from cash used of R$58.4 millhon for the year ended June 30, 2018 to cash used of R$31.1 million for the year ended June 30, 2019, which was partially offset by an increase of R$103.0 in cash used in gain on sale of farms.
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Investing activities: Net cash used in investing activities was R$21.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 compared to R$65.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. This decrease in cash used was mainly due to an investment of R$21.7 million in marketable securities and R$28.9 million of cash received from sales of farms.
Financing activities: Net cash used in financing activities was R$27.6 million for the year ended June 30, 2019 compared to cash generated of R$125.4 million for the year ended June 30, 2018. This variation was mainly due to: (i) a decrease of R$179.7 million in proceeds from loans, financing and debentures, due to the issuance of Agribusiness Receivables Certificates (ARC) in the aggregate amount of R$142.2 million in the year ended June 30, 2018; and (ii) an increase in cash used in payment of dividends from R$13.0 for the year ended June 30, 2018 to R$41.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2019.
Years ended June 30, 2018 and 2017
Operating activities: Net cash used in operating activities was R$2.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 compared to net cash generated from operating activities of R$65.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2017. This change was primarily due to: (i) a decrease in cash flows from transactions with derivative financial instruments from cash generated of R$19.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to cash used of R$17.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2018; (ii) a decrease in cash flows from transactions with related parties from cash generated of R$16.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 to cash used of R$2.3 million for the year ended June 30, 2018; (iii) a decrease of R$13.8 million in cash generated from suppliers; and (iv) an increase of R$52.1 million in cash used in inventories, which was partially offset by an increase of R$54.7 million in cash generated from biological assets and an increase of R$10.2 million in cash generated from advances from customers.
Investing activities: Net cash used in investing activities was R$65.7 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 compared to R$13.5 million for the year ended June 30, 2017. This increase in cash used was mainly due to a redemption of marketable securities of R$125.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2017 compared to investment in marketable securities of R$4.0 million for the year ended June 30, 2018, which was partially offset by a decrease in cash used in investments made in property, plant and equipment and investment properties in the amount of R$77.7 million.
Financing activities: Net cash generated from financing activities was R$125.4 million for the year ended June 30, 2018 compared to net cash used in financing activities of R$61.9 million in the same period in 2017. This change was primarily due to: (i) the issuance of Agribusiness Receivables Certificates (ARC) in the aggregate amount of R$142.2 million in the year ended June 30, 2018; (ii) an increase in cash proceeds from new loans and financing in the amount of R$88.6 million; and (iii) a reduction in the purchase of treasury shares, reducing cash used in the amount of R$14.1 million, which was partially offset by an increase of payment of loans and financing in the amount of R$57.1 million.
Indebtedness and Cash and Cash Equivalents
Our total consolidated indebtedness (loans, financing, debentures and finance leases) was R$285,9 million as of June 30, 2019, as compared to R$255.8 million as of June 30, 2018. Our short-term indebtedness as of June 30, 2019 amounted to R$76.6 million, as compared to R$68.4 million as of June 30, 2018. Our long- term indebtedness as of June 30, 2019 was R$209.2 million, as compared to R$187.4 million on June 30, 2018. Of the total indebtedness outstanding as of June 30, 2019, 73.2% consisted of long-term debt, as compared to 73.3% as of June 30, 2018.
Our indebtedness is primarily composed of loans and credit facilities with development banks and government agencies, by means of direct or indirect disbursements, and acquisitions payable with regard to our agricultural properties. Interest rates are generally lower than prevailing rates in Brazil, due to the fact that these credit facilities have long-term characteristics and other terms specific to the development agencies.
In addition, on May 25, 2018, 142,200 first issue debentures were subscribed and paid-in, not convertible into shares, to be converted into collateral, in two series, for private placement totaling R$142.2 million, of which R$85.2 million in the first series and R$57.0 million in the second series. The debentures were tied to a securitization transaction, used as guarantee for the issue of 142,200 Certificates of Agribusiness Receivables. The first series will mature on August 1, 2022, subject to interest corresponding to 106.5% of the DI Rate, and the second series will mature on July 31, 2023, subject to interest corresponding to 110.0% of the DI Rate.
The debentures contain certain financial covenants related to the maintenance of certain financial ratios, based on the ratio of net debt to fair value of investiment properties. Failure by the Company to maintain these ratios for the period of time during which the debentures remain outstanding may lead to the acceleration of the debt. On June 30, 2019 and as of the date of this annual report, the Company is in compliance with these covenants.
All loans and financing agreements listed below are in reais and have specific terms and conditions defined in the respective contracts with governmental economic and development agencies (including the Brazilian Development Bank – BNDES and the Northeastern Development Bank BNB) that directly or indirectly grant those loans.
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The table below summarizes our material outstanding loans and financing agreements as of June 30, 2019.
Type of credit transaction
Creditor/Transfer agent
Amount disbursed (in R$ thousands)
Outstanding Balance
Interest rate
Finalmaturity
Current(in R$ thousands)
Noncurrent(in R$ thousands)
Banco HSBC
Banco do Nordeste do Brasil S.A. – BNB
TJLP + 3.73%
Fixed rate 8.5% to 10.5%
TJLP + 2.70% to 3.80%
Fixed rate 6.14% to 10%
Capital Expenditures
We are focused on the acquisition, development and exploration of agricultural properties and the acquisition and development of properties that we believe have significant potential for cash flow generation and value appreciation. Our total capital expenditures related to these assets for the year ended June 30, 2019 were R$28.2 million, of which R$27.0 million refer to construction in progress, mostly for the clearance of areas, R$0.7 million refer to the expenses related to the Nova Buriti Farm environmental regularization and R$0.4 million refer to the opening and preparation of areas for cultivation and buildings and for improvements of the farm facilities.
Equity
Our total equity excluding non-controlling interest amounted to R$880.5 million as of June 30, 2019 and R$755.9 million as of June 30, 2018.
We do not currently have research and development policies and have not incurred research and development expenditures in prior years.
We will continue to operate in a highly competitive and regulated environment that will pose continued risks and threats to our existing businesses, placing the profitability of our assets under pressure. We expect our business to continue to be subject to the risks and uncertainties discussed in “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors.”
According to a report released in September 2019 by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), the soybean global production is forecasted at a record 341.4 million tons for 2019/20 crop year, and Brazil’s production estimate is raised to a record of 123 million tons on a larger area as lower prices are offset by the weaker exchange rate of the real and the ongoing trade war between the United States and China.
In addition to the information set forth in this section, additional information about the trends affecting our business can be found in “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Operating Results—Business Drivers and Measures.”
We are not aware of any other trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events that are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our net sales or revenues, income from continuing operations, profitability, liquidity or capital resources, or that would cause reported financial information to not necessarily be indicative of future operating results or financial condition.
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We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that are material to investors.
The following table summarizes our significant contractual obligations and commitments as of June 30, 2019:
The first agreement consists of a rural sub partnership to operate nine farms located in the municipalities of Alto Araguaia and Alto Taquari, in the state of Mato Grosso. The sub partnership started at the date of its signature and is estimated to end on March 31, 2026. The areas are to be used for the plantation and cultivation of sugarcane, which cannot exceed the duration of the contract. This contractual partnership meets the definition of an operating lease. The payment must always be in kind (tons of sugarcane) and delivered at the mill owned by Brenco, which is located in the vicinity of the farms, during the harvest period of the product. The quantity to be paid for the duration of the contract shall be established in tons per hectare and varies according to the area being explored. According to this contract, the quantity to be paid in the long term corresponds to 529,975 tons of sugarcane, of which 174,929 tons will be paid within one to five years and 355,046 tons will be paid over five years up to the expiration of the agreement.
The second agreement relates to the regulation of rights and obligations between agricultural partners from whom BrasilAgro acquired the crops of sugarcane planted by Brenco in the properties subject to the sub partnership agreement described above. This contract meets the definition of a financial lease. The payment must always be in kind (tons of sugarcane) and delivered at the mill owned by Brenco during the harvest period of the product. According to this contract, the quantity to be paid in the long term corresponds to 53,845 tons of sugarcane, of which 18,604 tons will be paid within one year and 35,241 tons will be paid within one to five years.
See “Forward-Looking Statements.”
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ITEM 6—DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
Our board of directors is responsible for establishing our overall business plan, guidelines and policies, including our long-term strategy, and for overseeing our performance. Our board of directors is also responsible for the supervision of our executive officers.
Pursuant to our bylaws, our board of directors consists of a minimum of five and a maximum of nine members. Election of our directors is made at annual shareholders’ meetings. At the date of this annual report, five of our directors, namely Eduardo Elsztain, Alejandro G. Elsztain, Saul Zang, Carlos María Blousson and Alejandro Casaretto were nominated by our controlling shareholder Cresud. The members of our board are elected at the shareholders’ meeting for a term of approximately two years, reelection being permitted. A director must remain in office until replaced by a successor unless resolved otherwise at the shareholders’ meeting or by the board of directors.
Under Novo Mercadoregulations and our bylaws, a minimum of 20% of the members of our board of directors must be independent (as such term is defined under Novo Mercado regulations). However, three directors must be independent if nine members are elected to our board. Prior to taking office, our board members are required to sign an agreement to comply with the Novo Mercado regulation.
Pursuant to section 19 of our bylaws, our board of directors holds mandatory meetings six times a year, and may hold extraordinary meetings, as necessary. Meetings of our board of directors are convened only if a majority of the directors are present and all board decisions are taken by a 2/3 or 3/4 majority, or by simple majority, depending on the nature of the specific matters brought to discussion.
Brazilian corporate law and CVM Regulation No. 282 of June 26, 1998 allow the adoption of a cumulative vote process by the request of shareholders representing a minimum of 5% of our capital stock. Brazilian corporate law allows minority shareholders that, individually or as a group, hold at least 15% of our common shares to appoint one director, by means of a separate vote. Brazilian corporate law does not allow for the election of a member to our board of directors, unless waived by our shareholders, if that person is an employee or senior manager of one of our competitors or has an interest conflicting with ours.
Our board of directors is currently comprised of nine members, all of whom were elected at the general shareholders’ meeting held on October 16, 2019, and whose terms will expire at our annual shareholders’ meeting for the approval of our financial statements for the fiscal year to end on June 30, 2021. The table below sets forth the name, title and date of election of each current member of our board of directors:
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Below is a brief biographical description of each member of our board of directors:
Eduardo S. Elsztain. Mr. Elsztain has been engaged in the real estate business for more than twenty-five years. He is the chairman of the board of directors of Cresud SACIFyA, IRSA Propiedades Comerciales S.A., IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima, IDB Development Corporation Ltd., Discount Investment Corporation Ltd., Banco Hipotecario S.A., BrasilAgro Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas S.A., Austral Gold Ltd., and Consultores Assets Management S.A., among other companies. He also Chairs IRSA Foundation, is a member of the World Economic Forum, the Council of the Americas, the Group of 50 and the Argentine Business Association (AEA), among others. He is co-founder of Endeavor Argentina and serves as Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress. Mr. Eduardo Sergio Elsztain is a brother of Alejandro Gustavo Elsztain.
Alejandro G. Elsztain. Mr. Elsztain obtained a degree in agricultural engineering from Universidad de Buenos Aires. He is currently Second Vice-Chairman of Cresud SACIFyA, Executive Vice-Chairman of IRSA Inversiones y Representaciones Sociedad Anónima, Chairman at Fibesa S.A. and Vice-Chairman at Nuevas Fronteras S.A. and Hoteles Argentinos S.A. In addition, he is Chairman of the Israeli companies Gav Yam and Mehadrin and Vice-Chairman of Property & Building Corporation Ltd. He is also a Director at IDB Development Corporation Ltd., and BrasilAgro Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas S.A., among other companies. He is also Chairman of Hillel Foundation Argentina. Mr. Alejandro Gustavo Elsztain is a brother of Eduardo Sergio Elsztain.
Saul Zang. Mr. Zang obtained a law degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. He is a member of the International Bar Association and of the Interamerican Federation of Lawyers. He was a founding partner of Zang, Bergel & Viñes Law Firm. Mr. Zang is Vice-chairman of Cresud SACIFyA, IRSA Propiedades Comerciales S.A., Consultores Assets Management S.A., and Fibesa S.A., among other companies, and Chairman at Puerto Retiro S.A. He is also director of IDB Development Corporation Ltd., Discount Investment Corporation Ltd., Banco Hipotecario S.A., BrasilAgro Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas S.A., BACS Banco de Crédito & Securitización S.A., Nuevas Fronteras S.A., and Palermo Invest S.A., among other companies.
Isaac Selim Sutton. Mr. Sutton holds a degree in economics from the Universidade de São Paulo (USP). He was an executive officer at the Safra Group’s holding company from 1994 to 2009. He is currently a member of the Fiscal Council of Bardella S.A. Indústrias Mecânicas. He has also served on the boards of directors of Bardella S.A., DPVAT S.A., Telenorte Celular, TIM Participações S.A., Veracel Celulose S.A., BR Properties S.A., Gevisa S.A. and Celma S.A., and on the fiscal councils of TIM Sul, Têxtil Renaux and TIM Nordeste.
Carlos María Blousson. Mr. Blousson obtained a degree in agricultural engineering from Universidad de Buenos Aires. He has been the Chief Sales Officer of Cresud SACIFyA since 1996. Prior to joining Cresud SACIFyA, he worked as a futures and options operator at Vanexva Bursátil – Sociedad de Bolsa. Previously, he worked as a farmland manager and a technical advisor at Leucon S.A.
Alejandro Gustavo Casaretto. Mr. Casaretto obtained a degree in agricultural engineering from Universidad de Buenos Aires. He has served as a technical manager, farm manager, and technical coordinator at Cresud SACIFyA since 1975.
João de Almeida Sampaio Filho. Mr. Sampaio Filho holds a degree in economics from the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) and is an agricultural producer in the states of Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso. He was the President of the National Natural Rubber Commission of the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) and President of the National Natural Rubber Sector Chamber. He was a member of the National Council of Agricultural Policy and the National Agricultural Academy. Mr. Sampaio was the President of the Brazilian Farmers’ Association (SRB) between 2002 and 2007, President of FARM – Mercosul’s Federation of Rural Associations and the São Paulo State Secretary for Agriculture and Supply between 2007 and 2011. He is currently a Member of Advisory and Managing Boards of companies in Brazil and the United States, Minerva S.A.’s Chief Officer of Institutional Relations and Chairman of FIESP Agribusiness Higher Council.
Bruno Magalhães. Mr. Magalhães has 22 years of experience in financial markets. Mr. Magalhães joined Autonomy Capital in Brazil in 2013 as a trader for the Global Macro Fund. Prior to joining Autonomy, Mr. Magalhães was a partner at Banco Brasil Plural. From 2001 to 2011, he was based in London, acting as a managing director at Standard Bank, and prior to that, for Unibanco. Bruno holds an MBA degree from IBMEC Rio, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC/RJ).
Camilo Marcantonio. Mr. Marcantonio is a co-founder and portfolio manager at Charles River Capital, an asset management company. Previously, he was a strategic consultant at Bain & Company for eight years, where he worked on projects addressing strategic planning, post-merger integration, complexity management, organization, performance improvement, and supply chain management, among other areas. Mr. Marcantonio had also been a partner at Astor Group, an independent investment bank and strategic advisory firm, where he advised clients on developing strategies, identifying and executing mergers and acquisitions, raising capital and solving financial and operational challenges. Mr. Marcantonio holds a degree in electronics engineering from the Instituto Militar de Engenharia (IME), from which he received the Correia Lima medal for graduating first in his class, and an MBA degree with distinction from Harvard Business School, where he received the John L. Loeb award for outstanding record of academic achievement in the area of finance.
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Board Committees
Pursuant to our bylaws, our board of directors shall elect among its members three directors to compose the Compensation Committee and a minimum of three and a maximum of four directors to compose the Executive Committee. In addition to these two statutory committees, our board of directors may establish other technical or advisory committees for a specific purpose and with specific duties, which members may or may not include our directors or executive officers. Our board of directors shall establish the rules applicable to these committees, including rules on their composition, term of office, compensation and operation. Such committees are advisory and non-deliberative in nature. The following advisory committees are currently established and active:
Compensation Committee
The Compensation Committee was established on March 1, 2012, and is composed of the following members of our board of directors, all elected on October 23, 2019 for a term of office of two years, which will end at the annual general meeting for approval of our financial statements for the fiscal year to end on June 30, 2021: (i) Alejandro G. Elsztain, (ii) Saul Zang and (iii) Isaac Selim Sutton. In accordance with our bylaws, the Compensation Committee performs consultative assistance to the Board of Directors, including with respect to the determination of the compensation and benefits to be received by our directors and executive officers. Its activities include (i) submitting proposals to the Board of Directors with respect to director and executive officer compensation, (ii) advising the Board of Directors with respect to the granting of stock options or subscription warrants to our officers and employees, and (iii) advising the Board of Directors with respect to profit sharing plans involving our executive officers and employees.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee was established on December 13, 2011, and is composed of the following members of our board of directors, all elected on October 23, 2019 for a term of office of two years, which will end at the annual general meeting for approval of our financial statements for the fiscal year to end on June 30, 2021: (i) Eduardo S. Elsztain, (ii) Alejandro G. Elsztain and (iii) Saul Zang. In accordance with our bylaws, the Executive Committee performs consultative assistance to the Board of Directors with respect to its role as a supervisory body, advising the Board of Directors on, or periodically reviewing, certain strategic or financial aspects of our business. Its activities include (A) advising the Board of Directors with respect to (i) our business plan, (ii) changes to our authorized capital, (iii) strategic initiatives, our growth plan and investment initiatives and (iv) any investments or dispositions over R$700 thousand; (B) reviewing annually (i) our financing initiatives, including with respect to our securities, (ii) the financial implications of our financing strategy and (iii) our dividend policy; and (C) reviewing and supervising periodically (i) the necessary financing for investments or activities in excess of R$700 thousand and (ii) our accessing of the capital markets.
Executive Officers
Pursuant to our bylaws, we must have two to six executive officers who may or may not be shareholders. Our executive officers are elected by our board of directors. We currently have two executive officers, who hold the following titles: chief executive officer and chief operating officer, and chief administrative officer and investor relations officer. Our executive officers are elected for a one-year term with the possibility of reelection, and they are required to remain in office until the election of their successors. Under Novo Mercado regulation, our executive officers are also required to sign an agreement to comply with the rules of the Novo Mercado prior to taking office.
Our executive officers are our legal representatives and are responsible for our day-to-day management, implementation of the policies and directives set by our board of directors and other duties assigned to them under the law and our bylaws. Our executive officers are authorized to take all actions required for the operation of our business, unless the law or our bylaws specifically delegate such authority to the shareholders’ meeting or our board of directors.
The table below indicates the name, title, date of election and term of office of each of our current executive officers:
At a Board Meeting held on October 23, 2019, André Guillaumon and Gustavo Javier Lopez were re-elected as Chief Executive Officer and Investor Relations Officer, respectively, with a term of office of one year until the first meeting of the Board of Directors to be held after the annual general meeting for approval of our financial statements for the fiscal year to end on June 30, 2020 or until they are dismissed or replaced by the Board of Directors.
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Below is a brief biographical description of our executive officers:
André Guillaumon. Mr. Guillaumon holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ) of the Universidade de São Paulo in Piracicaba, Brazil. In 1996, he began his career at Fertibrás S.A., where he worked directly in preparing and implementing fertilizer production and sales strategies. Mr. Guillaumon also represented Fertibrás S.A. in technical forums, such as the 25th International Fertilizer Management Seminar (Chicago, USA) and at the Fertilizer Quality Commission (ANDA). Mr. Guillaumon joined our Company in August 2007 as our Chief operating officer. He became our Chief executive officer and Chief operating officer in August 2016.
Gustavo Javier Lopez. Mr. Lopez joined Cresud in 1999 as budget manager. Since 2004, he has served as budget manager of IRSA. Prior to joining IRSA, Mr. Lopez also worked for the Argentine company Estancias Unidas del Sud as its budget analyst and as accountant for Loma Negra. He received an accounting degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Mr. Lopez joined our Company in 2005 as our Chief administrative officer. He became our Chief administrative officer and Investor relations officer in August 2016.
Agreements with our Directors and Executive Officers
We are not party to any agreement or obligations involving the members of our board of directors and our executive officers.
Family Relationship among our Directors and Officers
Eduardo S. Elsztain, the chairman of our board of directors, and Alejandro G. Elsztain, a member of our board of directors, are brothers.
Saul Zang, who is a member of our board of directors, is Carolina Zang’s father.
Pursuant to our bylaws, the total amount of compensation paid to the members of our board of directors, fiscal council and executive officers, in the aggregate, is set annually at the general shareholders’ meeting. Our directors, pursuant to the recommendation of the compensation committee, allocate the aggregate compensation among our executive officers and directors. Although our executive officers and board of directors are entitled to fixed compensation and a bonus depending on individual and company performance, the compensation of the fiscal council members is fixed. The bonus is paid to our executive officers and directors based on the achievement of certain individual and company targets.
The aggregate compensation paid to our executive officers and members of our board of directors (including for service as members of the compensation committee and executive committee) in the 2019 fiscal year was R$11.2 million, comprised of a fixed amount of R$2.9 million and a bonus paid to our executive officers and members of our board of directors in the amount of R$8.3 million. The bonus to the board was paid based on a recommendation of our compensation committee. The fixed amount paid to the members of our fiscal council in the 2019 fiscal year was R$0.3 million.
Neither we nor our subsidiaries have set aside any amount to provide pension, retirement or similar benefits.
Stock Option Plan
Our stock option plan was approved on October 29, 2008 for the benefit of the directors, executive officers and selected employees of our Company and our directly and indirectly controlled entities, and is limited to (2%) of our capital stock, including all outstanding stock options (vested and unvested). Our board of directors manages our stock option plan and grants stock options subject to the limits and restrictions of applicable regulation, our by-laws and the guidelines set forth in the shareholders’ meeting that approved it. Our board of directors approved our first grant of stock options under the plan on August 11, 2010, with options with an exercise price of R$8.97 per share, which vested on August 11, 2012 and could be exercised within three years thereafter. Our board of directors approved our second grant of stock options under the plan on July 3, 2012, with options with an exercise price of R$8.25 per share, which vested on July 3, 2012 and may be exercised within five years thereafter. Our board of directors approved our third grant of stock options under the plan on September 4, 2012, with options with an exercise price of R$8.52 per share, which vested on September 4, 2014, and may be exercised within three years thereafter. No stock options have been granted since September 5, 2012. In August 2015, our executive officers exercised stock options granted in the first tranche representing 233,689 shares of our capital stock, which were delivered to them in October 2015. In September 2017, our executive officers exercised stock options representing 218,108 shares of our capital stock, representing the remaining stock options granted from the first, second and third tranches, which were delivered to them on October 2017. As of June 30, 2019, no additional stock options had been exercised under either the second or third tranches. We do not expect to grant any further stock options under our stock option plan.
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Long Term Incentive Plan based on Shares
Our Long-Term Stock-Based Incentive Plan (“LTIP” or “Plan”) was approved at our general meeting held on October 2, 2017. Executive officers and other key employees are eligible for the Plan, however members of the Board of Directors are not eligible.
In establishing the Plan, the Company seeks to foster the achievement of the Company’s objectives, to strengthen the participants’ commitment in achieving the Company’s goals, resulting in a mid-term alignment of interests. Since the participants receive our shares, this causes them to aim at improving the results the Company and appreciation of the price of our common shares, aligning mid-term interests with the Company. Finally, there is a long-term alignment of interests, since the vesting period and the potential for valuation of our common shares under the LTIP Plan also encourage participants to generate better long-term results, as well as remain in the Company. The Plan helps retain key executives and key employees for a longer period, which is fundamental to the Company’s long-term management and strategies.
The Long-Term Stock-Based Incentive Program No. 1 (“Program No. 1”) was established under the Plan and was duly approved at the Board of Directors meeting held on February 2, 2018.
For information about the date of expiration of the current term of office and the period during which each director and executive officer has served in such office, see “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—A. Directors and Senior Management.”
Neither we nor any of our subsidiaries have entered into a service contract with any of our directors that provide for benefits upon termination of employment.
Fiscal Council
Under Brazilian corporate law, the Conselho Fiscal, or fiscal council, is a corporate body independent of our management and our independent auditors. Its primary responsibilities are monitoring management activities, reviewing our financial statements, and reporting its findings to our shareholders.
Under an exemption pursuant to Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act regarding the audit committees of listed companies, a fiscal council may exercise the required duties and responsibilities of a U.S. audit committee to the extent permissible under the Brazilian corporate law.
To comply with Rule 10A-3, the fiscal council must meet certain standards, including the following: (i) it must be separate from the full board of directors; (ii) no executive officer may be a member; and (iii) Brazilian law must set forth standards for the independence of the members. The fiscal council must also, to the extent permitted by Brazilian law, among other things: (A) be responsible for establishing procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding accounting, internal controls or auditing; (B) have the authority to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it deems necessary to carry out its duties; and (C) receive appropriate funding from the company for payment of compensation to the external auditors and advisors as well as ordinary administrative expenses.
We have modified our fiscal council to comply with the exemption requirements. Accordingly, the fiscal council operates pursuant to its charter (regimento interno), which contemplates the activities described above to the extent permitted by Brazilian law and is compliant with the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the applicable regulations and requirements of the SEC. Because Brazilian corporate law does not permit the board of directors to delegate responsibility for the appointment and removal of the external auditors and does not provide the fiscal council with the authority to resolve disagreements between management and the external auditors regarding financial reporting, the fiscal council cannot perform these functions.
However, the fiscal council’s charter (regimento interno) provides the fiscal council with the authority to submit recommendations to the board of directors for the appointment or removal of the external auditors and their compensation.
Pursuant to our bylaws, our fiscal council is permanent. The fiscal council’s members are elected at the annual shareholders’ meeting with a term of office that extends through the following annual shareholders’ meeting. Our fiscal council shall be composed of three to five effective members and their alternates, who may or may not be shareholders. All members of our fiscal council are also required to sign an agreement to comply with the Novo Mercado rules prior to assuming their roles.
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In addition, minority shareholders representing a minimum of 10% of our voting shares are entitled to elect one fiscal council member and his or her alternate by a separate vote. Our fiscal council must not have members of our board of directors, our executive officers, or our employees or of any subsidiary or a company under common control with us, or spouses or close family members of our directors and officers. Brazilian corporate law requires fiscal council members to receive a remuneration of at least 10% of the average annual amount paid to our officers, which excludes benefits and other allowances, or profit sharing, if any.
Our fiscal council is currently composed of three members and three alternates.
The table below indicates the name, title, date of election and term of office of each current member of our fiscal council:
Below is a brief biography of each member and alternate member of our fiscal council:
Fabiano Nunes Ferrari. Mr. Ferrari holds a Law degree from the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP) and is a partner at Suchodolski Law Firm, specialized in the fields of Corporate Law, International Law, Foreign Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions and Contracts and Agreements. In the corporate law area, he has worked in several takeovers of companies and/or assets, due diligences, shareholders’ agreements, joint ventures and corporate restructuring. He was formerly a lawyer at the Bryan Cave LLP law firm in New York and is a member of the International Bar Association.
Ivan Luvisotto Alexandre. Mr. Alexandre holds a Law degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) and a specialist degree in Accountability applied to Law from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo (FGV-SP), as well as a specialist degree in Information Technology Law from the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo (FGV-SP). He is a partner at Suchodolski Law Firm, with extensive experience in corporate planning and consultancy, M&As, international agreements and transactions, having assisted Brazilian and foreign companies in structuring their investments in Brazil or abroad. He has also been the Legal Director of the Brazil-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2010.
Marcos Paulo Passoni. Mr. Passoni holds a Law degree from the Catholic University of São Paulo and a Master degree in Diffuse Rights from Unimes. He is a partner at Suchodolski Law Firm and specializes in the fields of Civil Law and Litigation. He was a member of the board of OAB-SP (the Bar Association of the State of São Paulo). He is also a professor of Civil Litigation Procedure in the Superior School of Advocacy.
Daniela Gadben. Ms. Gadben holds a Law degree from the University of São Paulo (USP) and an LLM degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is an attorney at Suchodolski Law Firm, specializing in the fields of Corporate Law and International Law.
Débora de Souza Morsch. Ms. Morsch graduated in Civil Engineering and Administration from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Ms. Morsch has a specialist degree in Capital Markets from Associação dos Analistas e Profissionais de Investimento do Mercado de Capitais (Apimec- UFRGS) and in Construction Management from UFRGS. Ms. Morsch is a partner and director at Zenith Asset Management and has been a member of the board of Electro Aço Altona S/A.
Luciana Terezinha Simão Villela. Ms. Villela holds a Law degree from the Catholic University of São Paulo and a Master degree in Tax. She is an associate attorney at Suchodolski Law Firm, and specializes in the fields of Taxes and Administrative Law.
For information about the compensation committee, see “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Directors and Senior Management—Board Committees.”
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The table below shows the evolution of the total number of our employees for the period indicated:
The increase in the total number of employees for the year ended June 30, 2019 was mainly due to the start of operations at the Parterneship V Farm.
All of our employees are located in Brazil, and we do not employ a material number of temporary employees.
Compensation and benefits
Our compensation policy for our employees is based on legal and market rates of compensation, as well as merit-based increases in individual employees’ compensation, based on individual goals set for such employees and administered and monitored by our human resources department. We are also party to agreements, entered into with unions representing our employees, providing for employee profit-sharing arrangements (programa de participação nos resultados), pursuant to which all of our employees receive annual bonuses based on our financial and operating results, as well as personal goals set for individual employees. Finally, we also seek to retain quality personnel through offering benefits such as health and dental care, life insurance, meal vouchers, transportation and lodging, as well as job and technical training and subsidies for post-graduate, business administration and language courses. We also employ security officers at each of our agricultural properties, in an effort to maintain safe working conditions for employees contracted through our third-party service providers, including through regular workplace safety training programs.
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Relationship with unions
We believe we have good relationships with our employees and the unions that represent them. The table below summarizes the agreements entered into between us and the unions representing our employees as of June 30, 2019.
The following table indicates the number of our common shares and stock options directly held by each of our directors, executive officers and members of fiscal council as of October 18, 2019.
Percentage of Shares
Outstanding
Stock Options awarded and
not exercised
Our directors, executive officers and members of our Fiscal Council do not have different voting rights.
For information about our Stock Option Plan, see “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Compensation—Stock Option Plan.”
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ITEM 7—MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The table below sets forth information relating to the ownership of our common shares as of September 30, 2019.
Number of Common Shares (including warrants)(6)
Percentage (%) (including warrants)(6)
For information about stock options held by our directors and executive officers, see “Item 6—E. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Share Ownership.”
Our controlling and major shareholders do not have different voting rights.
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Controlling Shareholder
Cresud
Cresud was organized in December 1936 under the laws of Argentina. Cresud’s principal operating activities consist of the acquisition, development and sale of agricultural properties in Argentina, and the production of agricultural products. Its shares are listed on the Bolsas y Mercados Argentinos S.A. (ByMA) under the trading symbol “CRES” and on the NASDAQ under the trading symbol “CRESY.”
As of September 30, 2019, Mr. Eduardo S. Elsztain held (through companies controlled by him and proxies) a majority voting power in IFIS Limited, which owns 100% of the capital stock of IFISA, which holds 22.91% of the capital stock of Cresud. In addition to this, Mr. Eduardo S. Elsztain holds 100% of the capital stock of Agro Investment S.A., which holds 13.43% of the capital stock of Cresud. Finally, Mr. Elsztain directly holds 0.09% of the capital stock of Cresud. Because of his ownership interest in IFIS Limited and IFISA, Mr. Eduardo Elsztain may appoint the majority of our board of directors and the board of directors of Cresud, as well as determine the substantive outcome of all decisions requiring shareholder approval with respect to Cresud
As a result of Cresud’s ownership interest in us, conflicts of interest could arise with respect to transactions involving our ongoing business activities, and the resolution of these conflicts may not be favorable to us. Specifically, business opportunities, including but not limited to potential targets for rural property acquisitions may be attractive to both Cresud and us. In addition, five of our nine directors have been nominated by Cresud. This situation may give rise to conflicts of interest. We may not be able to resolve any potential conflicts and, even if we do so, the resolution may be less favorable to us than if we were dealing with an unaffiliated party.
Monteiro Aranha S.A. and Charles River Capital
Monteiro Aranha S.A. is a Brazilian holding company founded in the early 1900s. Since its founding, the company has acquired stakes in Klabin S.A., Brazil’s Volkswagen Foundation in 1950, Ultrapar Participações S.A. and made other investments in the industrial and service sectors. Through its subsidiary Charles River Capital, an independent asset manager, the group is focused on equity funds.
Autonomy Capital (Jersey) L.P.
Autonomy Capital (Jersey) L.P. is an asset management company founded in 2003 by Robert Gibbins with six offices across the world.
Elie Horn and Cape Town LLC
Elie Horn is the sole shareholder of E.H. Capital Management Ltd., which is the principal shareholder of Cape Town LLC, a company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware. Elie Horn is the president and controlling shareholder of Cyrela Brazil Realty S.A., and has more than 40 years of experience in construction and management of commercial buildings in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as in selling and leasing luxury and high-technology business offices, and finally, to a lesser extent, in the leasing and management of shopping malls. In recent years, Mr. Horn has also been involved in the development of residential condominiums. Mr. Horn previously served as a member of our board of directors, elected at the general shareholders’ meeting held on October 27, 2011, and retired from the board on July 3, 2012.
Agro Investment and Agro Managers
Agro Investment and Agro Managers are companies organized under the laws of Argentina, controlled by Cresud´s controlling shareholder (Mr. Eduardo Elsztain) and Cresud, respectively. Agro Investment and Agro Managers hold 0.28% of our shares and Agro Managers holds 1.70% of our warrants.
Major Changes in Share Ownership
Purchase and Sale of our Common Shares by Monteiro Aranha S.A. and Other Aunds under the Management of Charles River Capital
On August 16, 2019, Monteiro Aranha S.A.and other funds under the management of Charles River Capital bought 3,104,400 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the acquisition, Monteiro Aranha S.A.and other funds under the management of Charles River Capital held 1,217,500, or 2.1%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the acquisition, they held 4,321,900, or 7.6%, of our outstanding common shares.
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Purchase and Sale of our Common Shares by Conifer Management, LLC (formerly known as Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb Inc.)
On August 16, 2019, Conifer Management, LLC sold 2,900,000 of our common shares through the B3. Immediately after the sale, it held zero, or 0.0%, of our outstanding common shares.
Purchase and Sale of our Common Shares by Banco Fator
On December 16, 2015, CSHG Commodities Fundo de Investimento Multimercado - Crédito Privado sold 1,611,000 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the sale, it held 3,652,900, or 3.4% of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the sale, it held 2,041,900, or 3.5%, of our outstanding common shares.
Purchase and Sale of our Common Shares by Autonomy Capital (Jersey) LP
On November 13, 2015, Autonomy Capital (Jersey) LP (“Autonomy Capital”) bought 1,668,800 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the acquisition, Autonomy held 2,231,500, or 3.8%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the acquisition, it held 3,900,300, or 6.7%, of our outstanding common shares.
On February 10, 2016, Autonomy Capital bought 4,330,000 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the acquisition, Autonomy held 4,455,300, or 7.7%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the acquisition, it held 8,785,300, or 15.1%, of our outstanding common shares.
On April 27, 2016, Autonomy Capital sold 79,400 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the sale, Autonomy held 8,785,300 or 15.1%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the sale, it held 8,705,900, or 15.0%, of our outstanding common shares.
On September 19, 2017, Autonomy Capital sold 600,000 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the sale, Autonomy held 5,765,200 or 10.13%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the sale, it held 5,165,200 or 9.08%, of our outstanding common shares.
On September 22, 2017, Autonomy Capital bought 2,566,800 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the sale, Autonomy held 5,165,200 or 9.08%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the sale, it held 7,732,000 or 13.59%, of our outstanding common shares.
On October 6, 2017, Autonomy Capital sold 2,263,790 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the sale, Autonomy held 7,732,000 or 13.59%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the sale, it held 5,468,210 or 9.61%, of our outstanding common shares.
Purchase and Sale of our Common Shares by JP Morgan Whitefriars Inc.
On November 13, 2015, JP Morgan Whitefriars bought 1,668,800 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the acquisition, JP Morgan Whitefriars held 2,231,500, or 3.8%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the acquisition, it held 3,900,300, or 6.7%, of our outstanding common shares.
On February 18, 2016, JP Morgan Whitefriars sold 3,900,300 of our common shares through the B3. Prior to the sale, JP Morgan Whitefriars held 3,900,300 or 3.8%, of our outstanding common shares. Immediately after the sale, it held zero, or 0.0%, of our outstanding common shares.
ADRs
On September 30, 2019, we had 10,059,768 shares representing ADRs, which were held in the United States by one holder of record.
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We adhere to the corporate governance practices recommended and required under applicable law, including under the rules and regulations of the Novo Mercado and the B3 and Brazilian corporate law.
Decisions made regarding our operations are supervised by our board of directors and fiscal council in accordance with our bylaws and applicable law. Our bylaws provide that provision of services and consulting contracts entered into among us or our affiliates, on the one hand, and shareholders that, individually or in the aggregate, own at least 10% of our capital stock shall be submitted by our board of directors for shareholder approval at our general meeting.
Contracts entered into with related parties are negotiated individually and are analyzed in comparison with the market conditions of the applicable region. Along these lines, all transactions entered into with related parties should be documented, including their principal terms such as price, term limit, interest rates, and the respective rights and obligations of the parties, and such terms should be consistent with those prevailing in the market.
We, our shareholders, our directors and officers, and the members of our fiscal council, when active, should submit to arbitration for any dispute relating to the application, legality, effectiveness, interpretation, violation and effects of violation of the provisions in the agreement for participation in the Novo Mercado listing segment, and to the Novo Mercado listing rules, the arbitration regulation instituted by the B3, the provisions of Brazilian corporate law, our bylaws, the rules of the National Monetary Council, or Conselho Monetário Nacional (“CMN”) and the Central Bank, the regulations of the Securities Commission, or Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (“CVM”), and the B3 and other rules generally applicable to the Brazilian capital markets. Any such dispute should be settled by arbitration carried out before B3 Arbitration Chamber.
According to Chapter 12 of this rule, the parties may consent to agree to use another arbitration chamber or forum to resolve their disputes.
Cresca Acquisition and re-distribution of assets and liabilities
Purchase of interest in joint venture, debts and advisory contract with Cresca S.A.
On December 12, 2013, BrasilAgro executed contracts with Cresud for: (i) the acquisition of 50% interest in Cresca S.A., (ii) the assumption of Cresud credits from Cresca, and (iii) the execution of an advisory contract pursuant to which Cresud has agreed to render services in the forest agricultural exploration to Cresca in exchange for payments of fees.
Cresca is a company that invests in agricultural and cattle raising land in Paraguay. At the purchase date, it owned approximately 81,000 hectares and a contract for the right to purchase approximately 61,000 additional hectares of agricultural land in the region of Mariscal Estigarribia in Paraguay.
Pursuant to the agreement, Cresca purchased 35,864 hectares on July 9, 2014 and the remaining 24,753 on January 20, 2015.
On April 7, 2014, Cresca sold 24,624 undeveloped hectares.
As a result of this transaction, we now have the following two subsidiaries that received Cresca’s assets and liabilities: (i) Palmeiras, which was incorporated to operate the activities of our investment in Cresca and (ii) Moroti, a subsidiary that received, on February 9, 2018, upon conclusion of the process, all other assets and liabilities of Cresca attributed to BrasilAgro, including land and debts.
As part of the redistribution of assets and liabilities, the Company and Carlos Casado, partners in the joint venture, decided to waive the interest for late payment on the intercompany loans taken by Cresca in the total amount of R$32,9 million, of which BrasilAgro’s share was R$16,6 million.
As of June 30, 2019, Moroti owns 59,490 hectares of which 29,745 were arable. For more information, see Note 1.1 to the financial statements included in this annual report on Form 20-F.
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ITEM 8—FINANCIAL INFORMATION
See “Item 18—Financial Statements” below.
Legal Proceedings
We and our subsidiaries are subject to legal and administrative proceedings involving environmental, labor, civil, tax and criminal matters. As of June 30, 2019, we were defendants in 72 pending legal and administrative proceedings, of which 12 are environmental proceedings, 24 are labor proceedings, 29 are tax proceedings, 6 are civil proceedings, and one is a criminal proceeding. Also, as of June 30, 2019, we were plaintiffs in 16 pending legal and administrative proceedings, of which one is an environmental proceeding, 6 are tax proceedings and 9 are civil proceedings.
As of June 30, 2019, we had total provisions of R$824 thousand for probable losses, including R$802 thousand for labor proceedings and R$22 thousand for environmental proceedings. We believe that our provisions for contingencies suffices for purposes of covering probable losses that may result from the proceedings to which our Company and our subsidiaries are parties, based on the opinion of our external legal advisors.
The labor proceedings include claims filed by former employees and third-party contractors. In most cases, the Company and its subsidiaries are jointly liable for claims by third party contractors, since the discussion involves possible rights between outsourcing companies and their former employees. See “Item 3— Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to our Business and Industry—We are dependent on third-party service providers and subject to recent changes in the Brazilian labor legal framework.”
We do not expect probable losses to result from our civil, tax and criminal proceedings currently in progress.
Among our legal and administrative proceedings as of June 30, 2019, we have identified the following material contingencies in view of the adverse effects that they could have on our activities and/or the amount involved in the claims (we considered material for this purpose all legal and administrative proceedings filed against the Company involving amounts exceeding R$500 thousand):
Civil Proceedings
We are defendants in a civil claim filed on June 10, 2009 by Mr. José Pereira de Souza and others in the Judicial District Court of Correntina, State of Bahia, for the annulment of the deed of sale and purchase of agricultural property executed by and among our Company and others. We have filed our defense and await the decision. The total amount involved in the claim is R$4.5 million and our chance of loss is estimated as possible. If we are unsuccessful, we could be required to relinquish the equivalent of 2,561,681 hectares of land corresponding to 6.9% of the total area of Chaparral farm. We have not made any provision in connection with this proceeding.
We are co-defendants in an action for damages brought on March 14, 2013 by Liliana Marchio Silva, widow of Hailton Paz da Silva, who died in a car accident on August 29, 2011 involving a truck used by one of our service providers for the cutting, loading and transportation of sugar-cane produced in our Araucaria farm. We filed our defense on March 19, 2013, and we are waiting for the summoning of Mr. Ronaldo Rodrigues de Souza to be co-defendant on the proceeding. We are also waiting for the decision that will start the evidence phase in the proceedings. The total amount involved in the suit, as claimed by the plaintiff, is R$1.4 million and our chances of loss have been classified as possible. We have not made any provision in connection with this proceeding.
We are defendants in an injunction lawsuit filed by Mundo dos Cereais on May 10, 2010 seeking to void an out-of-court promissory note that BrasilAgro presented to a notary public for collection against Mundo dos Cereais issued to guarantee Mundo dos Cereais’ acknowledgement of debt in a principal amount of R$847 thousand and relating to an agreement for the purchase of rice. On October 25, 2016, the trial judge issued an order dismissing the lawsuit. Despite the fact that the lawsuit has been dismissed, we filed a motion for clarification to reinstate the effects of our presentation of the promissory note for collection. We are currently waiting for a decision on our motion for clarification.
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Tax Proceedings
On June 30, 2019, the Company has judicial and administrative tax claims in the amount of R$5.3 million mainly related to proceedings whose merit is related to: (i) notice of infraction issued for the collection of ICMS tax credits based on the understanding that the Company would have remitted primary products to exporter companies with the specific purpose of exporting, alleging that such products would not have been remitted abroad in the period of 180 days from the shipment of goods; and (ii) the reversal of a court order that partially approved negative income tax credits for the fourth quarter of 2007 and, as a consequence, did not approve offsets made by the Company relating to such credits. We have not made any provision in connection with these tax proceedings.
Also, we are plaintiffs in judicial and administrative claims in the aggregate amount of R$2.0 million mainly related to proceedings whose merit is related to: (i) suspension of INCRA, SEBRAE and FNDE contributions; and (ii) the annulment of tax credits related to monthly estimates of IRPJ and CSLL for January 2012.
Environmental Proceedings
We were defendants in an environmental administrative claim filed on November 25, 2009 by the Environmental Protection Board for the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources (Ibama) involving the total amount of R$4.8 million under the argument that we have deforested a permanent preservation area. The Ibama notified us on October 8, 2012 that it had rejected our defense. In October 2012, we filed an appeal to this decision, which was also rejected. On September 13, 2013, we filed a lawsuit before the federal courts of Goiás, for annulment of the infraction notice and cancellation of the fine. On October 15, 2013, we placed a court deposit on the amount equivalent to the fine imposed, in order to obtain the granting of injunction relief to suspend the payment of the fine until the end of the lawsuit. Due to the court deposit, the payment of the fine is suspended until final judgment in the case. In June 2015, a favorable decision was enacted in the first instance, decreasing the annulment of the infraction notice and cancellation of the fine. Ibama has submitted an appeal in order to revert such decision. On March 30, 2016, we filed a petition requesting the replacement of the deposit for a letter of guarantee corresponding to the amount of R$7.94 million (updated value of the deposit plus 30%, according to the article 848 of the Brazilian Civil Procedure Code). On August 29, 2016, the court granted the replacement of the guarantee. On September 9, 2016, Ibama filed an appeal against such decision and, on December 16, 2016, BrasilAgro filed its answer to Ibama’s appeal. On June 1, 2017, BrasilAgro filed a motion requesting the enforcement of replacement of guarantee. On June 5, 2017, the court allowed BrasilAgro to withdraw the judicial deposit in the amount of R$ 5.75 million. On June 11, 2018, BrasilAgro filed a motion requesting the replacement of the letter of guarantee by an insurance letter. We are currently awaiting a ruling on Ibama’s appeals. Considering there has been a favorable decision at the lower court level in this particular lawsuit, our chances of loss have been classified as remote.
Labor Proceedings
We are co-defendants in a labor judicial claim filed on June 17, 2016 by Laiane Fernandes da Silva and Agnaldo Fernandes involving a revised amount of R$824 thousand. The lawsuit seeks to acknowlegde illegal outsourcing and the payment of material and moral damages. The lawsuit has been suspended by a judicial order while the determination of the standing of the plaintiffs is pending. We have not made any provision in connection with this proceeding.
Administrative Proceedings involving our Controlling Shareholder and Directors
Our controlling shareholder, Cresud, and some of our directors are involved in some legal proceedings, which may have a material adverse effect on us. A brief description of these proceedings is provided below:
On February 23, 2016, a class action was filed against IRSA, Cresud, and certain managers and directors with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint was amended on February 13, 2017. As amended, the complaint, filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired Global Depositary Receipts of IRSA between February 11, 2015 and December 30, 2015, claims alleged violations of U.S. federal securities laws. In addition, it argues that defendants have made material misrepresentations and omissions related to the Company’s investment in IDB Development Corporation Ltd. (“IDBD”). Such complaint was withdrawn on May 4, 2016 by the plaintiff and re-filed on May 9, 2016 with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Furthermore, IRSA and Cresud and certain of their managers and directors are defendants in a class action filed on April 29, 2016 with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The complaint was amended on February 13, 2017. As amended, the complaint, filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired Global Depositary Receipts of Cresud between February 11, 2015 and December 30, 2015, alleges violations of U.S. federal securities laws. In addition, it argues that defendants have made material misrepresentations and omissions related to the investment of the Company’s subsidiary, IRSA, in IDBD.
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On September 24, 2018, the plaintiff in the class action against Cresud filed a brief acknowledging the dismissal of the complaint filed in the class action against Cresud for the same reasons as those stated by the Court on September 10, 2018 in the class action against IRSA, subject to its right to appeal.
On October 9, 2018, the plaintiff filed an appeal before the United States Court of Appeals in the class action against IRSA. On December 12, 2018, the plaintiff in the class action against Cresud filed a notice for voluntary dismissal, with prejudice, which the Court ordered on May 15, 2019. On December 13, 2018, the plaintiff waived the appeal filed in the class action against IRSA, subject to an agreement with IRSA and Cresud that the parties would bear their own legal costs and fees, including those incurred in the appeal proceedings, and that no charges would remain outstanding. As a result, the United States Court of Appeals dismissed the plaintiff’s appeal on December 18, 2018. On May 15, 2019, the Court ordered the voluntary dismissal of the plaintiff in the class action against IRSA. Both cases have been fully adjudicated and dismissed with prejudice in relation to IRSA and Cresud SACIFyA.
In June 2015, an application to approve an action as a class action was filed with the Central District Court in Lod, Israel, against IDBD, Dolphin Netherlands BV (IDBD’s controlling shareholder), C.A.A. Extra Holdings Ltd. (IDBD’s former controlling shareholder, or “CAA”), and current and former directors, including alternate directors (including, among others, Messrs. Eduardo Elsztain, Sholem Lapidot, Saul Zang and Mauricio Wior) (the “Defendants”). The complaint alleges that they hold shares in IDBD and that they are creditors of a debt arrangement with IDB Holdings Corporation Ltd. (the “Plaintiffs” and “Debt Arrangement,” respectively) raising, among others, claims regarding the conduct of IDBD’s controlling shareholders and of its board of directors in connection with the expiration of a transaction for the sale of IDBD’s holdings in Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd. (“Clal Insurance”) in May 2014 and in connection with a rights issuance by IDBD in July 2014 and February 2015.
In March 2016, the Plaintiffs filed a motion to dismiss the class action application and, in June 2016, the Court partially accepted the motion and ordered the Plaintiffs to file an amended class action application that would include only the allegations and remedies with respect to the Clal Insurance transaction. In August 2016, the Defendants filed a motion to appeal (regarding the part of decision that did not dismiss the allegations concerning the Clal Insurance transaction) and the Plaintiffs filed an appeal (regarding the part of the decision that dismissed the allegations concerning the rights issuance) both with the Israeli Supreme Court.
Following the dismissal of the appeal proceedings by the Supreme Court, the Plaintiffs filed, in January 2018, a motion of appeal to summarily dismiss the appeal filed by the Defendants, in which the Court ordered the striking of the motion for causes of action that fall under an exemption condition included in the amendment to the Debt Arrangement pertaining to damage that was allegedly caused due to prejudice of rights by virtue of the undertaking of the controlling shareholder and the former controlling shareholder to perform a tender offer for IDBD’s shares in accordance with the Debt Arrangement. The Plaintiffs filed an amended motion to approve the claim as a class action.
Dolphin, IDBD and IDBD’s directors filed a detailed joint answer on May 7, 2018. The preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 28, 2019.
In July 2019, the Plaintiffs filed a motion (in partial agreement) for withdrawal from the proceeding against the Defendants. In light of CAA and IDBD’s former controlling shareholder refusal to agree to the Plaintiffs’ withdrawal without an order for expenses, the Court has set a time for filing arguments on the expenses.
Distributions to Shareholders
Amounts Available for Distribution
At each annual shareholders’ meeting, our board of directors is required to submit to shareholder approval its proposal on the allocation of our net income for the preceding year. Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, the proposal of the board of directors has to be evaluated by the fiscal council (conselho fiscal), if in operation. Brazilian corporate law defines “net income” for any fiscal year as the results in a given year after the deduction of accrued losses from prior years, the provisions for income and social contribution taxes for that year, and any amounts allocated to profit-sharing payments to the employees and management (provided, however, that such payments will only be disbursed after payment of the mandatory dividend to the company’s shareholders). All calculations in connection with net income and its allocation to reserves are based on the audited financial statements for the preceding fiscal year.
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Our bylaws provide that an amount equal to at least 25% of our adjusted net income for any given year should be available for distribution as a mandatory dividend or interest on shareholders’ equity. Adjusted net income is calculated by adjusting net income as follows: (i) deducting amounts allocated to legal reserve, statutory reserve, contingency reserve, retained earnings and unrealized profit reserve, as applicable; (ii) adding amounts reversed from the contingency reserve; and (iii) adding unrealized profit reserve amounts, upon their realization and if not offset by subsequent losses, if any. Such amount represents the minimum mandatory dividend, or mandatory dividend. The allocation of amounts to the mentioned reserves cannot be made to the detriment of the payment of the mandatory dividend. Moreover, the minimum mandatory dividend may be limited to the ‘realized’ portion of net income. Our calculation of net income and allocations to reserves for any year, as well as the amounts available for distribution, are determined on the basis of our financial statements prepared in accordance with Brazilian corporate law. For more information, see “Item 8—Financial Information— Payment of Dividends and Interest on Shareholders’ Equity” below.
The distribution of dividends for the year ended June 30, 2019 was approved at our shareholders’ meeting held on October 16, 2019 in the amount of R$50.0 million, or R$0.93 (or US$0.22) per share. The payment of dividends shall be paid to shareholders in up to 60 days from the date of their declaration, for holders of record of our shares as of October 16, 2019.
Reserve Accounts
Brazilian corporate law provide for two main categories of reserve accounts, which may be used for purposes of dividend payments: income reserve accounts and capital reserve account.
Income Reserve Accounts
Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, our income reserve accounts are comprised of the legal reserve, the contingency reserve, the fiscal subsidies reserve, the investment and expansions reserve and the retained earnings reserve.
The balance of the income reserves, except for the balances of contingency, fiscal subsidies and unrealized profit reserves, may not exceed the amount of our capital stock. In case of excess, our shareholders shall decide at a shareholders’ meeting whether the excess amount will be used to pay or increase our capital stock or pay dividends.
Legal reserve: Under Brazilian corporate law, we are required to maintain a legal reserve to which we must allocate 5% of our net income for each fiscal year until the aggregate amount of the reserve equals 20% of our capital stock. However, we are not required to make any allocations to our legal reserve in a year in which the legal reserve, when added to our other capital reserves, exceeds 30% of our capital stock. The amounts allocated to such reserve must be approved by our shareholders in a shareholders’ meeting, and may only be used to increase our capital stock or to offset net losses. As of June 30, 2019, we had R$25.6 million allocated to legal reserve.
Contingency reserve: Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, a percentage of our net income may be allocated to a contingency reserve for anticipated losses that are deemed probable in future years, if their amount may be estimated. This allocation has to be proposed by the company’s management and approved at a shareholders’ meeting. The management’s proposal must indicate the cause of the anticipated loss and justify the need for such allocation. Any amount so allocated must be reversed in the fiscal year in which a loss that had been anticipated fails to occur as projected or charged off in the event that the anticipated loss occurs. As of June 30, 2019, we had no contingency reserve.
Fiscal subsidies reserve: The part of net income corresponding to amounts granted by the government to our company for investment purposes may be allocated to the fiscal subsidies reserve. Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, this allocation is only permitted if proposed by our management and approved at a shareholders’ meeting. Such amounts will not be taken into account for purposes of the calculation of the mandatory dividend. As of June 30, 2019, we had no fiscal subsidies reserve.
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Investment and expansion reserve: Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, the amount by which the mandatory dividend exceeds the realized net income in any given year may be allocated to other earnings reserve or investment and expansion reserve, and the mandatory dividends may be limited to the realized portion of the net income. Brazilian corporate law defines realized net income as the amount by which our net income exceeds the sum of our net positive results, if any, from the equity method of accounting; and the income, gains or profits resulting from transactions that occurred in the relevant fiscal year but that will be received by us after the end of the next year. Profits recorded as earnings reserve must be added to the next mandatory dividend distributed after the realization of such profits, if not absorbed by losses in subsequent years. As of June 30, 2019, we had R$255.5 million allocated to investment and expansion reserve.
Retained earnings reserve: Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, we are permitted to allocate part of our net income to discretionary reserve accounts that may be established in accordance with our bylaws, which must also indicate the purpose, allotment criteria and maximum amount of the reserve. The allocation of net income to retained earnings reserve accounts may not be made if it affects the payment of the minimum mandatory dividend. As of June 30, 2019, we had no funds allocated to retained earnings reserves.
Capital Reserve Account
Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, we may maintain capital reserves in which we may record goodwill paid in connection with the subscription of our shares, mergers, sale of warrants, subscription bonds, participation certificates (which are not applicable to us), debentures, donations, stock option granted and governmental granting for investments. These reserves may only be used for the following purposes: (i) to offset losses that exceed the retained earnings and income reserves, (ii) to redeem, repay or purchase shares of our capital stock, and (iii) to increase our capital stock. The amounts allocated to our capital reserve account are not considered for purposes of the calculation of mandatory dividends. As of June 30, 2019, we had R$3.6 million allocated to a capital reserve.
Payment of Dividends and Interest on Shareholders’ Equity
Brazilian corporate law requires that the bylaws of a Brazilian corporation specify a minimum percentage of the income available for the annual distribution of dividends, known as mandatory dividend, which must be paid to shareholders as either dividends or interest on shareholders’ equity. The basis of the mandatory dividend is a percentage of the net income, as adjusted pursuant to Brazilian corporate law. Under our bylaws, a minimum of 25% of our adjusted net income should be intended for the distribution and payment to our shareholders as mandatory dividend. However, the payment of mandatory dividends to our shareholders may be limited to the amount of realized net income in a given year, provided the difference should be recorded as unrealized income reserve. Our calculation of net income and allocations to reserves for any year, as well as the amounts available for distribution, are determined on the basis of our non-consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with Brazilian corporate law. The mandatory dividend may also be paid as interest on shareholders’ equity, in which event it is deemed a deductible expense for purposes of income and social contribution taxes on revenue.
In addition, our board of directors may advise our shareholders that additional dividends may be distributed from other income or reserves legally available for distribution. Brazilian corporate law allows, however, a company to suspend such dividend distribution if its board of directors reports at our annual shareholders’ meeting that the distribution would be inadvisable given the company’s financial condition. The fiscal council, if in place at the time, should review any suspension of the mandatory dividend. In addition, our management should submit a report to the CVM setting forth the reasons for the suspension. Net income not distributed by virtue of a suspension is allocated to a separate reserve and, if not absorbed by subsequent losses, is required to be distributed as dividends as soon as the financial condition of the company should permit such payment.
Our board of directors may distribute interim dividends on the basis of monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly or semi-annual financial statements. Our dividend policy has to comply at all times with the mandatory dividend requirements under Brazilian corporate law.
Shareholders have a three-year period from the date of the payment to claim the dividends or interest on shareholders’ equity with respect to their common shares, as applicable, after which the aggregate amount of any unclaimed amounts legally reverts to us.
Dividends
The distribution of dividends in any given fiscal year is proposed by our executive officers (Diretoria) to the board of directors, which then submits a detailed proposal to shareholders at a shareholders’ meeting. In preparing this proposal, the board of directors will take into account our business strategy, investment plans, financial condition and the recommendations of the fiscal council. The proposal for distribution of dividends is then submitted to our annual shareholders’ meeting, in which a majority of the voting shareholders is necessary to approve it. We may distribute additional dividends if so deemed adequate by our board of directors in view of our capital structure. Our board of directors may revise or modify our dividend policy at any time.
We are required by Brazilian corporate law and our bylaws to hold an annual shareholders’ meeting no later than four months after the end of each fiscal year, at which time the allocation of the results of operations in any year and the distribution of an annual dividend are reviewed. The distribution of annual dividends is based on our audited financial statements prepared for the immediately preceding fiscal year.
Any holder of record of common shares at the time a dividend is declared is entitled to receive dividends. Under Brazilian corporate law, dividends are generally required to be paid within 60 days following the date on which the dividend is declared, unless the shareholders’ resolution established another payment date, which, in any event, must occur before the end of the year in which the dividend is declared. Our bylaws do not require that dividend payments be adjusted for inflation.
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Interest on Shareholders’ Equity
Since January 1, 1996, Brazilian companies have been authorized to pay interest on shareholders’ equity to shareholders, and to treat those payments as deductible expenses for purposes of calculating corporate income tax and, since 1997, the social contribution tax, as well. The amount of the tax deduction in each year is limited to the greater of (i) 50.0% of our net income (after the deduction of social contribution tax on net profit, but before taking into account the provision for corporate income tax and the amounts attributable to shareholders as interest on shareholders’ equity) for the period in respect of which the payment is made; and (ii) 50.0% of our accumulated profits and income reserves at the beginning of the relevant period. The rate applied in calculating interest on shareholders’ equity cannot exceed the pro rata daily variation of the TJLP.
Payments of interest on shareholders’ equity to our shareholders, whether or not residing in Brazil, are subject to Brazilian withholding tax at the rate of 15%. A tax rate of 25% applies if the shareholder receiving such interest on shareholders’ equity resides at a Tax Haven Jurisdiction, which is defined under Brazilian tax laws as a country where income tax is not levied, or levied at a maximum rate lower than 17%, or where the local legislation does not allow access to information related to shareholding composition of legal entities or to their ownership or to the identity of the effective beneficiary of the income attributed to non-residents. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations—Interest on Shareholders’ Equity.”
Amounts paid as interest on shareholders’ equity, net of withheld income tax, can be taken into consideration for purposes of distribution of the mandatory dividend. If a distribution of interest on shareholders’ equity in any given fiscal year is not recorded as part of the mandatory dividend distribution, we will not withhold the applicable income tax, which will have to be paid by our shareholders.
Pursuant to Law No. 9,249, of December 26, 1995, as amended, interest on shareholders’ equity paid or payable to our shareholders should be computed in our results for the year under financial expenses. For purposes of the presentation of financial statements, however, these amounts revert to the statement of income charged to accumulated earnings as profit distribution.
We have never paid interest on shareholders’ equity since the beginning of our operations.
Recent Dividend Payments
The distribution of dividends for the year ended June 30, 2019 was approved at our shareholders’ meeting held on October 16, 2019 in the amount of R$50.0 million, or R$0.93 (or US$0.22) per share. The payment of dividends will be made to shareholders in up to 60 days from the date of their declaration, for holders of record of our shares as of October 16, 2019. The payment of dividends will be made to shareholders on November 14, 2019, for holders of record of our shares as of October 16, 2019.
The distribution of dividends for the year ended June 30, 2018 was approved at our shareholders’ meeting held on October 16, 2018 in the amount of R$41.0 million, or R$0.76 (or US$0.21) per share. The payment of dividends to shareholders was made on November 6, 2018, for holders of record of our shares as of October 16, 2018.
The distribution of dividends for the year ended June 30, 2017 was approved at our shareholders’ meeting held on October 2, 2017 in the amount of R$13.0 million, or R$0.27 (or US$0.07) per share. The payment of dividends to shareholders was made on October 30, 2017, for holders of record of our shares as of October 2, 2017.
The distribution of dividends for the year ended June 30, 2016 was approved at our shareholders’ meeting held on October 21, 2016 in the amount of R$10.0 million, or R$0.18 (or US$0.06) per share and at our extraordinary shareholders’ meeting held on November 07, 2016 in the amount of R$22.0 million, or R$0.40 (or US$0.12) per share, totaling the amount of R$32.0 million or R$0.58 (or US$ 0.18) per share.
The Company is not aware of any changes bearing upon its financial condition since the date of the financial statements included in this Annual
Report.
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ITEM 9—THE OFFER AND LISTING
Our common shares began trading on the Novo Mercado market segment of the B3 on May 15, 2006 under the symbol AGRO3. The ISIN for our common shares is BRAGROACNOR7.
In September 2010, we established a Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program in the United States, which, as of September 20, 2010, has allowed our ADRs to be traded on the over-the-counter (OTC) market in the United States under the symbol “BRCPY.”
In November 2012, we established a Level 2 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program in the United States, which, as of November 8, 2012, has allowed our ADRs to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LND.”
As of June 30, 2019, we had 10,276,837 ADRs outstanding, with no par value. There are no restrictions on ownership of our ADRs by individuals or legal entities domiciled outside Brazil.
Investments in our Common Shares by Non-residents of Brazil
Investors residing outside Brazil are authorized to purchase equity instruments, including our common shares, on the B3, provided that they comply with the registration requirements set forth in Resolution No. 4,373 and CVM Instruction No. 325.
Except for certain limited exceptions, Resolution No. 4,373 sets forth that investors are permitted to carry out any type of transaction in the Brazilian financial capital market involving a security traded on a Brazilian stock, futures or organized OTC market. Investments and remittances outside Brazil of gains, dividends, profits or other payments derived from our common shares are made by means of the foreign exchange market.
In order to become a Resolution No. 4,373 investor, an investor residing outside Brazil must:
Securities and other financial assets held by foreign investors pursuant to Resolution No. 4,373 must be registered or maintained in deposit accounts or under the custody of an entity duly licensed by the Central Bank or the CVM. In addition, securities trading by foreign investors are as a general rule restricted to transactions involving securities listed on the Brazilian stock exchanges or traded in organized OTC markets licensed by the CVM.
Foreign direct investors under Law No. 4,131, of September 3, 1962, as amended, or Law No. 4,131, may sell their shares in both private and open market transactions, but these investors are currently subject to less favorable tax treatment on gains. Particularly in this regard, please refer to “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations—Taxation of Gains.”
A foreign direct investor under Law No. 4,131 must:
Our common shares are traded on the Novo Mercado listing segment of B3 under the symbol “AGRO3.” Our ADRs are traded on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LND.”
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Trading on the B3
B3 concentrates all trading activities of shares and commodities in Brazil. Trading on the exchange is conducted by authorized members. Trading sessions take place every business day, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (local time) on an electronic trading system called Megabolsa. Trading is also conducted between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (local time) in an after-market system connected to both traditional broker dealers and brokerage firms operating on the Internet. This after-market trading is subject to regulatory limits on price volatility of securities traded by investors operating on the Internet.
In order to maintain control over the fluctuation of the B3 index, the B3 has adopted a “circuit breaker” system pursuant to which trading sessions may be suspended for a period of 30 minutes or one hour whenever the B3 index falls below 10% or 15%, respectively, in relation to the closing index levels of the previous trading session. In addition, in case the B3 index falls below the 20% mark, the B3 may suspend trading sessions for a period of time to be established at its discretion at the time said lower mark is reached.
When investors trade shares on the B3, the trade is settled in three business days after the trade date, without adjustments to the purchase price. The seller is ordinarily required to deliver the shares to the exchange on the third business day following the trade date. Delivery of and payment for shares are made through the facilities of an independent clearing house, the Central Depository B3, which handles the multilateral central counterparty settlement of both financial obligations and transactions involving securities. According to the regulations of the B3, financial settlement is carried out through the system of transfer of funds of the Central Bank and the transactions involving the sale and purchase of shares are settled through the B3 custody system. All deliveries against final payment are irrevocable.
The Novo Mercado segment
TheNovo Mercado is a stock market segment of the B3 intended for companies meeting certain requirements and agreeing to adhere to heightened corporate governance rules. The principal Novo Mercado rules and requirements are summarized as follows:
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Regulation of Brazilian securities markets
The Brazilian securities market is governed by the CVM, as provided for by Law No. 6,385, of December 7, 1976, as amended, or the Brazilian Securities Exchange Law, and Brazilian corporate law. The CVM is responsible for granting licenses to brokerage firms to govern their incorporation and operation, and regulating foreign investment and exchange transactions, as provided for by the Brazilian Securities Exchange Law and Law No. 4,595, of December 31, 1964, as amended. These laws and regulations provide for, among other things, disclosure requirements, criminal sanctions for insider trading and price manipulation, protection of minority shareholders, the procedures for licensing and supervising brokerage firms and the governance of Brazilian stock exchanges.
Under Brazilian corporate law, a company is required to be publicly held, or companhia aberta, before listing its shares. All publicly held companies are registered with the CVM and are subject to reporting requirements in order to periodically disclose information and material facts. A company registered with the CVM may trade its securities either on the Brazilian exchange markets, including the B3, or in the Brazilian OTC market. Shares of companies listed on B3 may not simultaneously trade on the Brazilian OTC market. The OTC market consists of direct trades between persons in which a financial institution registered with the CVM serves as an intermediary.
No special application, other than registration with the CVM (or, in case of organized OTC markets, registration with the applicable one), is necessary for securities of a public company to be traded in this market. To be listed on the B3, a company must apply for registration at the B3 and the CVM.
The trading of securities on B3 may be suspended at the request of a company in anticipation of a material announcement. Trading may also be suspended upon the initiative of the B3 or the CVM based on or due to a belief that a company has provided inadequate information regarding a significant event or has provided inadequate responses to inquiries raised by the CVM or the B3, among other reasons.
ITEM 10—ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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Organization, Register and Entry Number
We are a publicly-listed corporation, or sociedade por ações de capital aberto, organized in accordance with Brazilian law. Our registered office is located at Avenida Faria Lima, 1309, 5th floor, in the city of São Paulo, State of São Paulo, Brazil. We are registered with the Commercial Registry of the state of São Paulo (Junta Comercial do Estado de São Paulo) under NIRE No. 35.300.326.237, and with the CVM under No. 20036.
On April 10, 2006, we and our principal shareholders entered into the Novo Mercado Participation Agreement (Contrato de Participação no Novo Mercado) with B3. Also, as required under the Novo Mercado listing regulations, all our directors, officers and members of our fiscal council have undertaken to abide by the rules set forth in the Novo MercadoParticipation Agreement and by the Novo Mercado listing segment rules and regulations applicable to each of them.
Our common shares are traded on the Novo Mercado listing segment of B3 under the symbol “AGRO3.” In September 2010, we established a Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program in the United States, which, as of September 20, 2010, has allowed our ADRs to be traded on the over-the-counter (OTC) market in the United States under the symbol “BRCPY.” In November 2012, we established a Level 2 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program in the United States, which, as of November 8, 2012, has allowed our ADRs to be traded on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol “LND.”
Capital Stock
During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016, we acquired 3,557,900 common shares under the share buyback program, which accounted for 10.55% of our outstanding shares (excluding the shares held by the controlling shareholder).
During the year ended June 30, 2017, we acquired a total of 1,345,400 common shares under our share buyback program, which accounted for 3.99% of our shares outstanding (excluding the shares held by the controlling shareholder).
During the year ended June 30, 2018, we acquired a total of 50,300 common shares under our share buyback program, which accounted for 0.15% of our shares outstanding (excluding the shares held by the controlling shareholder).
During the year ended June 30, 2019, we did not have a share buyback program in effect. Our last share buyback program was approved on September 20, 2016 for a term of 18 months from September 21, 2016, ending, therefore, on March 21, 2018.
As of June 30, 2019, our fully paid capital stock was R$584.2 million, divided into 56,888,916 registered book-entry common shares, without par value. Our bylaws authorize our board of directors to increase our capital stock up to R$3.0 billion without shareholder approval. Any capital increase in excess of such amount must be approved at a shareholders’ meeting.
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Corporate Purpose
Article 3 of our bylaws define our corporate purposes as including: (i) the development of agricultural and forestry activities and the rendering of services directly or indirectly related thereto; (ii) the purchase, sale and/or lease of real estate properties in agricultural and/or urban areas; (iii) the import and export of agricultural products, supplies and inputs; (iv) the brokering of real estate transactions of any kind; (v) the holding equity investments in other companies and business ventures of any kind related to our corporate purpose, either in Brazil or abroad; and (vi) the management of our own or third-party assets.
Share Register
Banco Bradesco S.A. holds the book-entry register of our common shares. Share transfers are made upon written instructions of the transferor or court order, by charging the transferor’s share account and crediting the transferee’s account by the appropriate amount.
Rights of Common Shares
Our capital stock consists exclusively of common shares. Each of our common shares entitles its holder to one vote at our shareholders’ meetings, and to receive pro rata dividends or other distributions. See “Item 8—Financial Information—Dividends and Dividend Policy” for a description of distribution rights in connection with our common shares. Holders of our common shares also have the right, subject to certain exceptions provided for in Brazilian corporate law, but not the obligation, to subscribe to our future capital increases. Our shareholders are also entitled to share ratably our remaining assets in case we are liquidated, after payment of all our liabilities.
Brazilian corporate law awards our shareholders the following rights, which cannot be circumvented by bylaws amendments or majority resolutions at shareholders’ meetings: (i) the right to participate in the distribution of profits; (ii) the right to participate equally and ratably in any remaining residual assets in the event of liquidation of the company; (iii) preemptive rights in the event of issuance of shares, convertible debentures or subscription warrants, except in certain specific circumstances, as set forth in Brazilian corporate law (see “Item 10—Additional Information— Preemptive rights”); (iv) the right to hold our management accountable, in accordance with the provisions of Brazilian corporate law; and (v) the right to withdraw in the cases specified in Brazilian corporate law, including in the events of merger or consolidation, such as those described in “Item 10— Additional Information—Withdrawal and Redemption Rights—Withdrawal Rights.”
Furthermore, pursuant to our bylaws and in accordance with CVM and Novo Mercado rules and regulations, the direct or indirect transfer of our control, either through one or a series of related transactions, is contingent upon the acquirer making a tender offer to acquire all of our shares.
As long as we are listed on the Novo Mercado, we may not issue preferred shares or participation certificates, and should we decide to delist from the Novo Mercado, we must carry out a tender offer to acquire all shares traded on stock markets. For further information, see “Item 10—Additional Information—Delisting from the Novo Mercado” below.
Warrants
On March 15, 2006, our board of directors approved the issuance of warrants to our founding shareholders proportionally to their subscription of shares during our capital increases. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Description of Outstanding Warrants.”
Shareholders’ Meetings
Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, our shareholders have the power to take any action and approve any resolutions related to our activities at shareholders’ meetings, provided that such meetings have been convened pursuant to the terms and procedures described in Brazilian corporate law and in our bylaws. It is the exclusive prerogative of the annual shareholders’ meeting (assembleia geral ordinária) to review management’s account of corporate activities; approve our financial statements; and determine the allocation of our net income and the payment of dividends with respect to the previous fiscal year. Members of our board of directors and fiscal council are also usually appointed at the annual shareholders’ meeting, although such appointments may also take place at special shareholders’ meetings.
Our shareholders may also convene special shareholders’ meetings, which may be held concurrently with the annual shareholders’ meeting or at any time of the year.
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The following actions, among others, may be taken exclusively at shareholders’ meetings: (i) approval of amendments to the bylaws; (ii) approval of management accounts and financial statements; (iii) appointment and dismissal of members of our board of directors and fiscal council; (iv) the establishment of the aggregate compensation of the board of directors, executive officers and fiscal council; (v) approval of the company’s dissolution, motion for bankruptcy or judicial or out-of-court reorganization proceedings, liquidation, merger, redistribution of assets and liabilities, or consolidation with any other company, and any share mergers; (vi) approval of pro rata share distributions to current shareholders, stock splits and reserve stock splits; (vii) approval of stock option plans and similar arrangements for our management and employees, and for the managers and employees of our direct or indirect subsidiaries; (viii) approval of management’s proposals regarding allocation of net income and distribution of dividends; (ix) approval of capital increase over the limit authorized in our bylaws; (x) appointment of liquidators and members of the fiscal council during liquidation proceedings; (xi) approval of the cancellation of our registration as a publicly-held company at CVM; (xii) approval of our delisting from the Novo Mercado listing segment; (xiii) approval of engagement of an appraiser to evaluate the value of our shares in case of cancellation of our registration as a public company at CVM or our delisting from the Novo Mercado listing segment; and (xiv) the passing of resolutions on any matter submitted to the shareholders’ meeting by our board of directors.
Shareholders’ meetings are not allowed to circumvent certain specific shareholder rights enumerated in Brazilian corporate law. See “Item 10— Additional Information—Rights of Common Shares,” above.
Quorum
As a general rule, Brazilian corporate law provides the need of shareholders representing at least 25% of our voting capital stock in order for a company to able to convene a shareholders’ meeting on first call, except if the meeting is called to amending our bylaws, in which case two thirds of our voting capital stock shall be required on first call. In either case, if the applicable quorum is not reached on first call, any percentage will suffice to convene the meeting on second call.
Approval of resolutions at shareholders’ meetings generally requires the affirmative vote of shareholders representing at least the majority of common shares attending the meeting, either in person or represented by a proxy. Non-voting shares are disregarded for purposes of calculating the majority.
The Novo Mercadolisting rules require, for the approval of certain issues, such as to retain a specialized firm to prepare a valuation report with respect to the value of our common shares in the event of delisting from the Mercado Novo listing segment or cancelling our registration as a publicly- held company, the affirmative vote of shareholders representing at least the majority of our issued and outstanding common shares (the “Outstanding Shares”) present at a shareholders’ meeting. In such events, the shareholders’ meeting must count on the presence of shareholders representing at least 20% of our Outstanding Shares on first call, or on the presence of any percentage of our Outstanding Shares on second call, with blank votes not taken into account and with one vote entitled to each share. For these purposes, Outstanding Shares within the meaning set forth in the Novo Mercado Participation Agreement and Novo Mercado listing segment regulations means all our issued and outstanding shares, provide, however, with the exclusion of, (i) the shares held by any controlling shareholders or by affiliates of such controlling shareholders, (ii) the shares held by our managers, and (iii) treasury shares. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Delisting from the Novo Mercado” for additional information on this matter.
Notice of Shareholders’ Meetings
Brazilian corporate law requires that previous notice of any shareholders’ meeting be published on three different dates on federal or state official gazette and another newspaper of high circulation in the state of the corporate offices. As a general rule, our company publishes meetings notices on the Official Gazette of the state of São Paulo (Diário Oficial do Estado de São Paulo) and the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo. The first notice must be published no later than 15 days prior to the date of when meeting on first call is schedule to take place, and no later than eight days in advance to the date of the shareholders’ meeting on second call. In certain circumstances, the CVM may require that the first notice for the shareholders’ meeting to be published no later than 30 days prior to the shareholders’ meeting. Nevertheless, CVM may also require, upon shareholder request, up to 15 additional days between such prior notice and any special shareholders’ meeting, in order to enable such shareholder to having enough time to analyze the matters to be discussed at the meeting. In addition, our bylaws require that a shareholders’ meeting to be convened to decide on the cancellation of our registration as a public company with the CVM or our delisting from the Novo Mercado listing segment must be called at least 30 days prior to the shareholders’ meeting. The notice on the shareholders’ meeting must contain the agenda, date and venue of the meeting, and (if applicable) the nature of the proposed bylaws amendments.
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Venue
Our shareholders’ meetings take place at our head office in the city of São Paulo, in the state of São Paulo. Brazilian corporate law allows our shareholders to hold meetings in another location in the event of force majeure, provided that the meetings are held in the city of São Paulo and the relevant notice includes a clear indication of the place where the meeting will occur.
Who May Call our Shareholders’ Meetings
As a general rule, Shareholders’ meetings are called by our board of directors, although they may also be called by the following: (i) any shareholder, if our directors fail to call a shareholders’ meeting within 60 days after the date they were required to do so under applicable laws and our bylaws; (ii) holders of at least 5% of our capital stock, if our directors fail to call a meeting within eight days following receipt of a justified request to call the meeting by those shareholders, indicating the proposed agenda; (iii) holders of at least 5% of our capital stock if our directors fail to call a meeting within eight days after receipt of a request to call the meeting to establish the fiscal council; and (iv) our fiscal council (if already established), if our board of directors fails to call an annual shareholders’ meeting within one calendar month after the date it was required to do so under applicable laws. The fiscal council (if already established) may also call a special shareholders’ meeting if it believes that there are important or urgent matters to be addressed.
Conditions of Admission to a Shareholders’ Meeting
In order to attend and vote at shareholders’ meetings, shareholders must identify themselves and, 72 hours before the meeting, provide evidence of proper title to the voting shares, issued by the financial institution responsible for the bookkeeping of our shares, no earlier than five days before expiration off the 72-hour deadline mentioned herein. A shareholder may be represented at a shareholders’ meeting by a proxy, provided that such proxy has been appointed less than one year before the meeting. Only attorneys, financial institutions, other shareholders, and our executive officers and directors can act as proxies for our shareholders. An investment fund must be represented by its officers.
Management and Fiscal Council
Pursuant to our bylaws, and in accordance with Brazilian corporate law and the Novo Mercado listing rules, we are governed by our board of directors (conselho de administração) and executive officers (diretoria).
Our bylaws require that our board of directors comprise of at least of five and not less than to nine directors. Currently, our board of directors has nine members, of which four are independent directors under the Novo Mercado listing rules, unrelated to our principal shareholders or to us. Our board members are elected by our shareholders at the annual shareholders’ meeting, for a period of two consecutive years, reelection being permitted. We have also recently suggested the inclusion of two alternate members to comprise the board of directors in the event any of the sitting members resign.
According to our bylaws, our board of directors may establish one or more technical or advisory committees for specific purpose and with specific duties, whose members may or may not include our officers or executive officers. Our board of directors must establish the rules applicable to those committees, including rules for their composition, mandates, compensation and operation. Such committees are advisory committees and not deliberative by nature.
Brazilian corporate law permits cumulative voting upon the request of holders of at least 10% of our voting capital. Each share is granted as many votes as the number of board seats, and each shareholder has the option to cast his or her votes for one or more candidates. However, pursuant to CVM Instruction No. 282, of June 26, 1998, the threshold to trigger multiple voting rights in publicly held corporations may be reduced in proportion to the amount of capital stock, ranging from 5% to 10%. Shareholders representing 5% of our voting capital may request the adoption of cumulative voting rights.
Under applicable law, if there is no request for cumulative voting, the shareholders’ meeting will vote based on a previously registered list, assuring shareholders that individually or collectively hold at least 15% of our common shares, in a separate vote, the right to elect one director and his or her alternate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at a meeting held on November 4, 2006, CVM Board has decided to maintain the interpretation of section 141, fifth paragraph, of Brazilian Federal Law No. 6,404/76 expressed at the meeting held on November 8, 2005 (CVM Case RJ2005/5664), which, in those cases whereupon the Company has only issued shares with voting rights, the majority of holders holding at least 10% of the total voting shares will have the right to elect and remove a member and his alternate from the Board of Directors, by a separate vote at the general meeting, excluding the controlling shareholder.
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If cumulative voting is requested, each shareholder may vote for one or more board members. Each common share will entitle its holder to one vote in the relevant shareholders’ meeting and each shareholder may cast votes for members as they wish.
Our bylaws require that we have two to six executive officers. At the date of this annual report, we have two executive officers. They are elected by our directors for a period of one year, with the possibility of reelection. Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, executive officers must be residents of Brazil, but do not need to be shareholders.
Pursuant to our bylaws, our fiscal council is permanent, has the powers and attributions conferred upon it by law and is also incumbent upon exercising the role of Audit Committee, in accordance with the Sarbanes Oxley Act and the rules issued by the SEC. The fiscal council members are elected at the annual shareholders’ meeting with a term of office that extends through the following annual shareholders’ meeting. Our fiscal council shall be comprised by three to five effective sitting members and their alternates, who may or may not be shareholders. All members of our fiscal council are also required to sign an agreement to comply with the Novo Mercadorules prior to assuming their roles. The current members of our fiscal council will exercise their duties until the annual shareholders’ meeting to be held in 2020 to approve the management accounts and financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020.
Transactions in Which Directors Have a Conflict of Interest
Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, our directors and executive officers may not:
The compensation of our directors is determined by our shareholders at the annual shareholders’ meeting that approves the previous fiscal year’s financial statements.
Allocation of Net Income and Dividend Distributions
Before each annual shareholders’ meeting, our directors and executive officers are required to recommend how to allocate our net income, from the preceding financial year (if any). This allocation is subject to the approval of our shareholders. Brazilian corporate law defines “net income” for any particular financial year as net income after income and social contribution taxes for that financial year, net of any accumulated losses from prior financial years and any amounts allocated to employees’ and management’s participation in our net income in such financial year.
According to our bylaws and Brazilian corporate law, net income for any given financial year will be allocated as follows: (i) 5% for the formation of a legal reserve according to Brazilian corporate law, which is subject to a maximum limit of 20% of our capital stock (in addition, if for any given financial year, the total amount of the legal reserve plus any amounts of capital reserves exceed 30% of our capital stock, additional contributions to the legal reserve will not be mandatory); (ii) payment of mandatory dividends, which cannot be less than 25% of our adjusted net income. After payment of mandatory dividends, shareholders may decide to allocate outstanding net income to form a statutory expansion and investment reserve in accordance with the additional requirements provided for in our bylaws; and (iii) the remaining portion of the adjusted net income may be allocated for investment, based on the budget approved by our general shareholders’ meeting. However, the remaining balance of the income reserves, excluding reserves for unrealized profits and contingencies, must not exceed the value of our capital stock. If this limit is reached, a general shareholders’ meeting will be held to determine whether such excess amount shall be allocated as a capital increase or a distribution of dividends.
The general shareholders’ meeting may grant to our directors and executive officers a participation in the distribution of our profits, after deducting accumulated losses and provisions for income and social contribution taxes, in accordance with applicable law.
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Withdrawal Rights
According to Brazilian corporate law, shareholders are entitled to withdrawal rights if they dissent from the approval of the following actions at any shareholders’ meeting: (i) the redistribution of assets and liabilities (pursuant to the conditions described below); (ii) reduction in our mandatory dividends; (iii) change of our corporate form or purpose; (iv) our merger into, or consolidation with, another company (as described below); and (v) our participation in a corporate group, as defined in Brazilian corporate law, except in the event our shares are widely held and liquid, as described below; or (vi) our acquisition of the control of any company, if the acquisition price exceeds the limits established by Brazilian corporate law, except in the event our shares are widely held and liquid, as described below.
The redistribution of assets and liabilities will only trigger withdrawal rights if it results in one of the following: (i) a change in our corporate purpose, unless the spun-off assets and liabilities are transferred to an entity whose principal business purpose is consistent with our corporate purpose; (ii) a reduction of the minimum mandatory dividend to be paid to shareholders; or (iii) our participation in a corporate group (as defined in Brazilian corporate law).
In cases where we: (i) merge into, or consolidate with, another company; (ii) become part of a corporate group (as defined in Brazilian corporate law); (iii) acquire all shares of a company in order to make such company our wholly-owned subsidiary, or our shareholders sell all of our shares to another company in order to make us a wholly-owned subsidiary of such company, pursuant to Article 252 of Brazilian corporate law; or (iv) acquire control of any company at an acquisition price that exceeds the limits established under Article 256, paragraph 2 of Brazilian corporate law, our shareholders will not be entitled to withdrawal rights, if our common shares are (a) part of the Bovespa Index or another stock exchange index, as defined by the CVM; and (b) widely held, such that any controlling shareholders and their affiliates jointly hold less than 50% of the type or series of shares being withdrawn.
The right to withdraw expires 30 days after the publication of the minutes of the relevant shareholders’ meeting. We are entitled to reconsider any action giving rise to withdrawal rights for 10 days after the expiration of the aforementioned period if we determine that the redemption of the shares of dissenting shareholders would jeopardize our financial situation.
Article 45 of Brazilian corporate law describes the amounts to be paid to shareholders who exercise their withdrawal rights. As a general rule, the withdrawing shareholder will receive the value of the shares, based on the most recent audited balance sheet approved by our shareholders, or, if lower, the economic value of the shares, based on an evaluation report prepared in accordance with Brazilian corporate law. If the resolution giving rise to withdrawal rights is passed more than 60 days after the date of our most recent balance sheet, dissenting shareholders may request that the shares be valued in accordance with a new balance sheet dated no more than 60 days prior to the date of the resolution. In such case, we are obligated to pay 80% of the share value according to the most recent balance sheet approved by our shareholders, and the balance within 120 days following the date of the resolution of the shareholders’ meeting that gave rise to the withdrawal rights.
Liquidation
We may be liquidated in accordance with the provisions of Brazilian law. In the event of our extrajudicial liquidation, a shareholders’ meeting will determine the manner of our liquidation, appoint our liquidator and our fiscal council that will function during the liquidation period.
In the event of our liquidation, the assets available for distribution to our shareholders would be distributed to our shareholders in an amount equal to their pro rata share of our legal capital. If the assets to be so distributed are insufficient to fully compensate our all of our shareholders for their legal capital, each of our shareholders would receive a pro rata amount (based on their pro rata share of our legal capital) of any assets available for distribution.
Redemption
According to Brazilian corporate law, we may redeem our shares pursuant to a resolution adopted at an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting by shareholders representing at least 50% of our capital stock. The redemption may be paid with our retained earnings, revenue reserves or capital reserves.
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Preemptive Rights
Except as described below, our shareholders have a general preemptive right to participate in any issue of new shares, in proportion to its holding at such time. However, the conversion of debentures into shares, the granting of options to purchase or subscribe for shares and the issue of shares as a result of the exercise of such options, are not subject to preemptive rights. Our shareholders are also entitled to preemptive rights in any issue of convertible debentures or offerings of shares or warranties issued by us. Shareholders have a period of at least 30 days after the publication of notice of the issue of shares, convertible debentures and warrants to exercise their preemptive rights. In addition, such preemptive rights may be transferred or disposed of for value. Under the terms of Article 172 of Brazilian corporate law and our bylaws, our board of directors may exclude preemptive rights or reduce the exercise period with respect to the issue of new shares, debentures convertible into shares and warrants up to the limit of our authorized share capital, if the distribution of those securities is conducted in a stock exchange, or through a public offering, an exchange offer for shares or tender offer the purpose of which is to acquire control of another company. Please refer to “Item 3—Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to the Offering and Our Common Shares—A holder of our common shares not residing in Brazil might be unable to exercise preemptive rights with respect to the common shares” for additional information on this matter.
Insider Trading Regulations
We comply with the restrictions on insider trading set forth in CVM Instruction No. 358, of January 3, 2002, as amended. The following paragraphs contain a brief summary of some of such restrictions.
An issuer, any controlling shareholders, directors, officers and other members of management are prohibited from trading in any securities issued by our company or derivatives related to such securities, if (i) they are in possession of material information regarding our business, and such information has not been publicly disclosed; (ii) a transaction is pending for the acquisition or sale of shares of our capital stock, by our company, subsidiaries or affiliates, or an option or mandate has been granted in connection with any of such transactions; or (iii) our company intends to participate in a merger, consolidation or corporate reorganization, the redistribution of assets and liabilities assets or change into a different form of legal entity; and (iv) such trading activity would take place in the 15-day period prior to the filing of our quarterly financial statements (ITR) or annual financial statements (DFP) with the CVM.
Individuals who held management positions at the company and gained access to material information originating from developments occurred before their departure from the company are also prohibited from engaging in such trading activities, from the date of their departure from the company until (i) six months after their departure; or (ii) public disclosure of the material information; provided that trading will remain prohibited as long as it may interfere with our business or adversely affect our financial condition or that of our shareholders.
Acquisition of Treasury Stock
An issuer cannot acquire shares of its own capital stock, to hold as treasury stock or for cancellation purposes, if this acquisition would: (i) reduce the issuer’s capital stock; (ii) require the use of funds in excess of the issuer’s profits or available reserves, as described in its most recent balance sheet; (iii) manipulate the stock price, or use of any unfair trading practice; or (iv) acquire shares that had not been fully paid by the respective holder, or that were owned by any controlling shareholders. Furthermore, an issuer may not acquire shares of its own capital stock if a tender offer for its shares is pending.
The amount of shares of our capital stock held by our company, or maintained by our affiliates and subsidiaries in treasury cannot exceed 10% of the total outstanding shares of our capital stock.
We may only purchase shares of our own capital stock at a stock exchange. Private purchases are only permitted if previously approved by the CVM, or if we have cancelled our registration as a public company with the CVM. We can purchase and sell put and call options on our shares without restrictions at any time.
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Restrictions on Activities Inconsistent with our Corporate Purpose
Any transactions in which we participate that are inconsistent with our corporate purpose are not enforceable against our company, pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, including any forms of collateral or guarantees unrelated to our corporate purpose or in violation of our bylaws.
Disclosure of Trading of our Shares by an Issuer, any Controlling Shareholders, Directors, Officers or Members of the Fiscal Council
An issuer’s directors and officers and members of its fiscal council, when active, as well as members of any other technical or advisory committee, are required to disclose to its investor relations officer, who will disclose to the CVM and B3, the number and type of securities issued by the issuer, its publicly-held subsidiaries or controlled companies, including derivatives (in case of any controlling shareholders) held by them or by persons related to them, as well as any alteration in their respective interests within 10 days as from the end of the month in which trading takes place.
In addition, the Novo Mercado listing rules require any controlling shareholders to provide the same information in relation to securities issued by the issuer, including derivatives, and to disclose their plans for future trading. Information on trading of an issuer’s securities should include:
Pursuant to CVM Instruction No. 358, if an issuer’s controlling shareholders and/or any person or company, whether individually or together with a group of persons or entities sharing similar interests, should directly or indirectly increase their interest in an issuer’s capital stock by at least 5% percent, such persons or entities must disclose to us the following information:
Disclosure of Information
We are subject to the reporting requirements established by Brazilian corporate law and the regulations of the CVM. In addition, as a result of our listing on the Novo Mercado, we must comply with the disclosure requirements under Novo Mercado regulations.
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Information Required by the CVM
Brazilian corporate law, securities regulations of the CVM and the rules for listing on the Novo Mercado require that publicly held corporations file the following periodic information with the CVM and the B3:
In addition to the foregoing, we must also file the following information with the CVM and the B3:
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Information Required by the B3 from Companies Listed on the Novo Mercado
In addition to the disclosure obligations imposed by Brazilian corporate law and the CVM, we also must comply with the following additional disclosure requirements under Novo Mercado regulations:
In addition, we must disclose the following information together with our ITR:
The following information must also be included in the company’s Formulário de Referência:
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Disclosure of Material Information
According to Law No. 6,385, of December 7, 1976, as amended, and the rules published by the CVM, we must disclose any material information (fato relevante) related to our business to the CVM and the B3 and publish a notice of such material information. Material information consists of any decision by the principal shareholders, any resolution taken by our board of directors, by the executive officers or by the shareholders in a shareholders meeting, or any other act or fact of political, technical, managerial, economic or financial nature occurring or related to us that could materially influence the price of our securities, the decision of investors to buy, sell or hold our securities, or the investors’ decision to exercise any rights deriving from our securities.
Under special circumstances, we may request confidential treatment by the CVM of certain material developments affecting us.
Going Private Process
A public company may become a private company if it or any controlling shareholders conduct a public tender offer for the acquisition of all of the issuer’s outstanding common shares in accordance with the rules and regulations of Brazilian corporate law, the CVM and the Novo Mercado listing segment which, among other things, require that the offering price be the fair value of our common shares, as defined pursuant to a valuation report, and that holders of common shares representing more than two thirds of the outstanding common shares should have agreed to the delisting or accepted the offer; provided, however, that for such purposes outstanding common shares shall mean common shares the holders of which shall have enrolled to participate in the offer.
The minimum offering price shall correspond to the fair value of our common shares, as determined in a valuation report prepared by specialized and independent firm of recognized experience.
Pursuant to Brazilian corporate law, fair value is defined as the valuation of our Company, determined based on individually or in the aggregate, shareholders’ equity, shareholders’ equity valued at market price, discounted cash flow, comparison by multiples, the market price of shares issued by us, or any other valuation method accepted by the CVM. Shareholders holding at least 10.0% of our outstanding common shares may require our management to call a special shareholders’ meeting to determine whether to perform another valuation using the same or a different valuation method. This request must be made within 15 days following the disclosure of the price to be paid for the common shares in the public offering. The shareholders that make such request, as well as those voting in its favor, must reimburse us for any costs involved in preparing the new valuation, if the new valuation price is not higher than the original valuation price. If the new valuation price is higher than the original valuation price, the public offering must either be cancelled or carried out at the higher price, and this decision must also be disclosed to the market.
Pursuant to our bylaws and the Novo Mercado listing rules, the minimum price per share in the public offer to be conducted to purchase our outstanding common shares for purposes of going private, must correspond to the fair value of our common shares as determined in a valuation report prepared by a specialized and independent firm of recognized experience, chosen at a shareholders’ meeting from a list of three institutions presented by our board of directors, pursuant to a decision of our Company, our directors and officers and/or shareholders.
Delisting from the Novo Mercado
We may at any time delist our common shares from the Novo Mercado, provided that shareholders representing the majority of our common shares approve the action and that we give at least 30 days written notice to the B3. Our delisting from the Novo Mercado would not result in the loss of our registration as a public company with the B3.
If the shareholders’ meeting decides to delist in order for an issuer’s common shares to be tradable outside the Novo Mercado, or as a result of a corporate reorganization in which the surviving company is not listed on the Novo Mercado, the issuer’s controlling shareholders or group of controlling shareholders should conduct a tender offer to purchase the issuer’s outstanding common shares. In any such event, the offering price per common share should be no less than the fair value of our common shares, as determined in a valuation report prepared by a specialized and independent firm of recognized experience, chosen at a shareholders’ meeting from a list of three institutions presented by our board of directors, pursuant to a decision of shareholders representing at least the majority of the issuer’s outstanding shares present at such a shareholders’ meeting, with blank votes not taken into account and with one vote entitled to each share. All the expenses and costs incurred in connection with the preparation of the valuation report must be paid by any controlling shareholders and/or the issuer, as offerors.
In the event of delisting from the Novo Mercado, any controlling shareholders must conduct a tender offer to acquire common shares from the other shareholders at fair value, pursuant to the Novo Mercado listing rules and according to applicable legislation and regulation. Such tender offer must be disclosed to the B3 and the market immediately after the company receives notice regarding the termination of the agreement for participation in the Novo Mercado listing segment.
According to the Novo Mercado listing rules, in the event of a transfer of our control within 12 months following our delisting from the Novo Mercado, the acquirer of control and the seller of control must offer to purchase the common shares of all other holders of our common shares for the same price, terms and conditions offered to the seller of control, adjusted for inflation. Furthermore, in the event the price received by any controlling shareholders for their common shares is higher than the value of the public offering conducted, the selling controlling shareholders and the acquirer will be required to jointly pay the difference to the acceptors of the respective public offering.
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If our common shares are delisted from the Novo Mercado, we will not be permitted to have common shares listed on the Novo Mercado for a two-year period following the delisting date, unless there is a change in our control following this delisting from the Novo Mercado.
Public Tender Offers
Our by-laws provide that if any of the above-mentioned cases occur simultaneously, a single public tender offer will be conducted provided that the procedures of all types of public tender offers are compatible, the target shareholders are not adversely affected and the CVM authorizes it.
In addition, our by-laws permit that we or the shareholders responsible for the public tender offer assure its execution through any shareholder, third party and, if applicable, ourselves. Nevertheless, we or the responsible shareholder, as the case may be, are still responsible for the public tender offer until its completion.
Arbitration
We, our shareholders, our directors and officers, and the members of our fiscal council, when active, should submit to arbitration for any dispute relating to the application, legality, effectiveness, interpretation, violation and effects of violation of the provisions in the agreement for participation in the Novo Mercado listing segment, and to the Novo Mercado listing rules, the arbitration regulation instituted by the B3, the provisions of Brazilian corporate law, our bylaws, the rules of the CMN and the Central Bank, the regulations of the CVM and the B3 and other rules generally applying to the Brazilian capital markets. Any such dispute should be settled by arbitration carried out before B3 Arbitration Chamber.
Change of Control
According to the Novo Mercado listing rules, the sale of control over an issuer, in one transaction or in a series of successive transactions should contemplate an obligation by the acquirer of control to conduct a tender offer for the acquisition of all other outstanding common shares on the same terms and conditions offered for disposition of control so as to assure equal treatment among all of our shareholders. For such purposes, any selling controlling shareholders and the acquirer shall inform the CVM and the B3 of the price and other conditions of such sale.
A tender offer is also required:
The buyer, if applicable, should take all necessary measures to reconstitute the minimum 25% free float within six months of the acquisition.
The controlling shareholders may not transfer the common shares to the purchaser of our control, and the issuer may not register the transfer of such common shares, if the buyer fails to execute the controlling shareholders’ consent agreement (Termo de Anuência dos Controladores). Moreover, the issuer will not register any shareholders’ agreement that regulates the exercise of control rights until the signatories thereto execute the controlling shareholders’ consent agreement.
Diffused Control
Control of us is deemed diffused if exercised by (i) a shareholder holding less than 50% of our capital stock; (ii) shareholders jointly holding more than 50% of our capital stock, provided that each shareholder holds less than 50% of our capital stock, and (a) their respective ownership of our common shares is not subject to voting rights agreement, (b) they are not under common control and (c) do not represent a common interest; and (iii) shareholders holding less than 50% of our capital stock who have executed a shareholders’ agreement in respect of their ownership of our common shares.
Duties and Responsibilities of Controlling and Others Shareholders
If one shareholder or group of shareholders exercises in a permanent manner control over us, such shareholder or group of shareholders will be subject to the duties and responsibilities of the Brazilian corporate law. On the other hand, if there is no such shareholder or group of shareholders, we will be subject to diffused control. The diffused control is always transitory and shareholders can exercise their control over us by using their voting rights, if there are shareholders in a sufficient number who can influence the decisions taken at a general shareholders meeting. If our control is diffused according to the Brazilian corporate law, there are no specific liability rules for each group of shareholders even if one shareholder or group of shareholder effectively exercises the diffused control, since this diffused control is exercised with the approval of the other shareholders. Nevertheless, the rules concerning shareholders’ liability, such as in abuse of voting rights and conflict of interests, apply to any company, including those with diffused control.
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In addition, the rules of the Novo Mercado acknowledge that diffused control can involve a specific controlling shareholder, which is the one who actually exercises it. The rules of the Novo Mercado also acknowledge the specific liability of a certain shareholder or group of shareholders for misconduct.
According to the definition of diffused control, certain obligations and responsibilities apply to certain groups of shareholders who are not necessarily identified as controlling shareholders, such as the obligation to conduct a tender offer if such group of shareholders votes for delisting from the Novo Mercado or if delisting occurs due to non-compliance with the obligations of the Novo Mercado listing segment regulations. Therefore, if our control becomes diffused, all shareholders will be subject to the liability rules set forth in the Brazilian corporate law. However, some specific rules and liabilities set forth in the Novo Mercadolisting segment regulations only apply for those shareholders who have the power to control our business, even though not formally identified as controlling shareholders.
Protection against Shareholder Concentration
Our by-laws contain a provision intended to avoid concentration of our shares in the hands of a small group of investors. This provision requires that any shareholder who becomes an owner of our common shares, or certain other rights, in an amount greater than or equal to 20% of our total capital stock (excluding any involuntary ownership interest additions arising from the cancellation of treasury shares or capital decrease resulting from the cancellation of shares), within 60 days from the date of acquisition, is required to publicly tender for all of our capital stock. Cresud, including the entities controlled by it or under its common control and their legal successors (but excluding any acquirer of shares from Cresud and its successors) are not covered under this obligation, which applies only to investors who acquired our shares after our listing in the Novo Mercado segment of B3 as of April 2006.
The percentage of 20% is not applicable to a person who becomes the holder of our shares in a number greater than 20% of the total shares as a result of (i) legal succession, provided that the shareholder sells the exceeding shares no later than 60 days as from the material event; (ii) merger of another company into our company; (iii) merger of shares of another company into our company; or (iv) subscription of shares, conducted in a primary offering, approved at the shareholders meeting, called by our board of directors, which proposal for capital increase has determined the share price based on the economic value calculated according to an economic and financial appraisal report conducted by a specialized company with renowned experience in publicly held companies.
Shareholders that acquire 20% of our common shares are obligated under this provision to: (i) make a tender offer to acquire the entirety our outstanding issued shares; (ii) ensure that the tender offer is conducted in an auction held at the B3 (iii) offer to pay a price per share as described below, and (iv) offer to pay cash in exchange for the shares, in reais.
The tender offer price per share issued, provided that CVM regulations do not require the adoption of calculation criteria that would lead to a greater acquisition price, in which case, such CVM criteria would prevail, shall not be less than the higher amount among: (i) the market value of our share established in an expert valuation report prepared and approved by shareholders in accordance with our bylaws; (ii) 150% of the share price established in the most recent capital increase made through public offering within the 24-month period preceding the date on which the tender offer becomes mandatory, adjusted by the IPC-A index pro rata until actual payment; or (iii) 150% of the average listing price of our shares during the 90-day period preceding the tender offer on the stock exchange where they are mostly traded.
Launch of such a tender offer does not preclude other shareholders, or even us, from launching a competing tender offer in accordance with the applicable regulations.
In the event the acquiring shareholder fails to perform the obligations set forth in our bylaws, our board of directors shall call a special shareholders’ meeting to approve the suspension of the shareholder rights of such defaulting shareholder, without prejudice to losses and damages that may be claimed from it.
Any proposed amendment to limit our shareholders’ right to conduct a tender offer or to exclude it will impose on the shareholder(s) voting in favor of said amendment or exclusion at such shareholders’ meeting, the obligation of conducting such tender offer. Each shareholder shall have the right to one vote in any special shareholders’ meeting called to decide on amendments or elimination of such provisions of our bylaws.
Suspension of Rights of Acquiring Shareholders for Violation of Our bylaws
In the event an acquiring shareholder violates the provisions of our by-laws regarding the need to conduct a public tender offer in the event of a change of our control or the acquisition of shares representing 15% or more of our common shares, the rights of such acquiring shareholder will be suspended pursuant to a resolution passed at our shareholders’ meeting, which must be convened in the event of such noncompliance. The acquiring shareholder will not be entitled to vote at such meeting.
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Public Meeting with Analysts
Pursuant to Novo Mercado regulations, at least once a year we must hold a public meeting with analysts and any other interested parties to disclose information regarding our projects and forecasts, as well as our economic and financial situation.
Annual Calendar
Pursuant to the Novo Mercado regulations, we must, by the end of January of each year, publicly disclose and send to the B3 an annual calendar with a schedule of our corporate events. Any subsequent modification to such schedule must be immediately and publicly disclosed and sent to the B3.
Duty to Disclose Related Party Transactions
Pursuant to the Novo Mercado regulations, we must publicly disclose and send to the B3 information about any contract between us and our related parties or managers of our related parties, whenever the amount of such contract in any one-year period reaches the greater of R$0.2 million or 1% of our shareholders’ equity.
The disclosure must specify the contract’s object, term, amount, termination conditions and impact, if any, on our business and management. Additionally, pursuant to CVM rules, in the event a related party has interest in the approval of any matter by our shareholders at a shareholders’ meeting, we must inform our shareholders of at least: the name and qualifications of the related party; the relationship between us and the related party; the amount of our common shares and other securities, directly or indirectly, held by the related party; all credits and amounts outstanding between us and the related party; a description of the transaction submitted to shareholders’ meeting approval; management’s recommendation in relation to the proposed related party transaction, indicating our advantages and disadvantages; and, in the event of an intercompany transaction, an affirmation by our management that the transaction was conducted at an arms-length basis or that the compensation is appropriate, and analysis of the related party transaction’s terms and conditions in relation to the terms and conditions of similar transactions entered into by third parties. See “Item 7—Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions.”
Description of Outstanding Warrants
On March 15, 2006, our board of directors approved the issuance to our founding shareholders of two series of warrants to acquire our common shares. The first series of such warrants, or “First Series Warrants,” consists of 256,000 warrants, and the second series, or the “Second Series Warrants,” consists of an additional 256,000 warrants. Such warrants were delivered to our founding shareholders in proportion to their respective interests in our capital stock on the date such warrants were issued. The First Series Warrants grant their holders the right to acquire such number of our common shares as will represent 20% of our total capital stock on the date such warrants are exercised, and the Second Series Warrants grant their holders the right to acquire such number of our common shares as will represent an additional 20% of our total capital stock on the date such warrants are exercised. We believe that these warrants are an incentive and contribute to ensure our founding shareholders’ commitment towards the development of our activities and the implementation of the business plan prepared by them.
First Series Warrants
The First Series Warrants will grant their holders the right to acquire our common shares at an exercise price of R$1,000 per share which was the issue price per share in our 2006 initial public offering, subject to the price adjustment described below.
We believe that the First Series Warrants represent an efficient mechanism of compensating our founding shareholders as those securities will only represent an economic gain in a scenario of a rising share price for our shares. The remuneration provided by the First Series Warrants will not interfere with our results or financial condition as a gain to our founding shareholders will be generated by market conditions. The principal terms of the First Series Warrants are as follows:
Series and Right to Acquire Common Shares
The First Series Warrants were issued in three sub-series, which differ in relation to the date on which their respective rights to acquire shares becomes effective. All three sub-series of the First Series Warrants are currently exercisable and tradable. The First Series Warrants expire on the date 15 years after the publication in Brazil of the notice of completion of our initial public offering (Anúncio de Encerramento), which notice was published on May 15, 2006.
Warrant Shares
Each lot of 1,000 warrants of the First Series Warrants originally entitled its respective holder to acquire one of our common shares, subject to the adjustments described in “Item 10—Additional Information—Adjustment of the Number of Common Shares for Subscription” below.
Adjustment of the Number of Common Shares for Subscription
If we issue shares that do not result from the exercise of the rights conferred under the warrants, the number of shares to which the warrants grant rights will be adjusted. Such increase in the number of shares that may be acquired by the holders of the warrants shall be proportional to such number of shares newly issued by us in relation to the number of shares existing before such issuance. Accordingly, holders of warrants whose rights had not yet been exercised shall be entitled to maintain the right to subscribe the same percentage interest in our capital stock as they were entitled to prior to such new issuance. The number of shares granted upon the exercise of the warrants will also be adjusted in order to reflect capital reductions, stock splits, reverse stock splits and share bonuses transactions, if any. Such adjustments will also apply to the issue of new warrants, debentures or other securities convertible into our common shares.
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Exercise Price
The exercise price of the First Series Warrants was originally equivalent to the issue price per share in our 2006 initial public offering, i.e., R$1,000.00 (a thousand reais) per share. However, such exercise price is subject to certain adjustments and restatements as set forth at our board of directors meeting held on March 15, 2006.
If new shares that do not result from the exercise of our warrants are issued, the exercise price of the warrants shall be adjusted to reflect the price per share of such subsequent offerings. Such calculation will be made based on: (i) the total amount in reaisof our capital stock after our 2006 initial public offering, excluding amounts relating to retained profits converted into equity, plus (ii) the total proceeds in reais received by us from any subsequent issuance of shares after our 2006 initial public offering that do not result from any exercise of our warrants, divided by (iii) the total number of shares outstanding after our 2006 initial public offering in addition to the shares issued thereafter, not including any shares issued as a result of any exercise of our warrants. The exercise price resulting from the application of such rules is also subject to the adjustment procedures set forth in the following paragraph.
Exercise Price Adjustment
For purposes of adjustment of the exercise price of the First Series Warrants, the amounts set forth in items (1) and (2) in the paragraph above shall be adjusted, respectively, from (a) the date of the announcement of commencement of our 2006 initial public offering and (b) the date of each new issuance of shares made by us that does not result from any exercise of our warrants, based on the Compounded Consumer Price Index (IPC-A), during the period, if such periods are equal to or longer than 12 months. On June 30, 2019, the exercise price of the First Series Warrants was R$20.23 per share.
Exercise of Rights
The First Series Warrants may be exercised by their holders upon at least five business day advance notice to us.
Characteristics of the Common Shares for Subscription
The shares to be acquired pursuant to the First Series Warrants will be entitled to the same rights granted to other shares.
Holders of First Series Warrants
As of September 30, 2019, the holders of our First Series Warrants are:
Second Series Warrants
The Second Series Warrants grant their holders the right to acquire our common shares only in the event of (i) a transfer of control in accordance with our bylaws, the Novo Mercado listing regulations and CVM rules, (ii) the acquisition of a significant interest in our capital stock in accordance with our bylaws, or (iii) a mandatory tender offer in accordance with CVM regulations. In any of these events, a tender offer for the acquisition of all of our shares must be made. The exercise price for the shares underlying the Second Series Warrants will be equal to the price established in such tender offer.
The purpose of creating the Second Series Warrants was to provide our founding shareholders with a mechanism that would allow them under certain circumstances to maintain their interest in our capital stock. The principal terms of the Second Series Warrants are described below.
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The Second Series Warrants were issued on March 15, 2006. The Second Series Warrants expire on the date 15 years after the publication in Brazil of the notice of completion of our initial public offering (Anúncio de Encerramento), which notice was published on May 15, 2006. The Second Series Warrants may be exercised by their holders only under the following circumstances:
Transfer of control: In the event of a transfer of control of our company, as prescribed by articles 41, 42 and 43 of our by-laws, theNovo Mercado listing regulations and CVM rules, provided that the resulting business or business group has no direct participation of our founding shareholders or persons related to them. The Second Series Warrants in this case must be exercised within ten business days of the publication of the tender offer made in connection with such transfer of control.
Acquisition of significant interest: In the event of an acquisition by any shareholder, individually or jointly with other shareholders, of an interest in our company representing an amount equal to or greater than 20% of our capital stock, as prescribed by article 44 of our by-laws, provided that the resulting business or business group has no direct participation of our founding shareholders or persons related to them. The Second Series Warrants in this case must be exercised within ten business days of the publication of the tender offer made in connection with such acquisition of a significant interest.
Mandatory tender offer in accordance with CVM rules: In the event a mandatory tender offer is made for our shares under CVM regulations, provided that the resulting business or business group has no direct participation of our founding shareholders or persons related to them. The Second Series Warrants in this case must be exercised within ten business days of the publication of such mandatory tender offer.
Transferability
The Second Series Warrants may be transferred only among our founding shareholders, their controlling shareholder or their affiliates.
Each lot of 1,000 warrants of the Second Series Warrants originally entitled its respective holder to acquire one of our common shares, subject to the adjustments described in “Item 10—Additional Information—Adjustment of the Number of Common Shares for Subscription” below.
If we issue shares that do not result from the exercise of the rights conferred under the warrants, the number of shares to be issued upon exercise of the warrants will be adjusted. Such increase in the number of shares that may be subscribed by the holders of the warrants shall be proportional to such number of shares newly issued by us in relation to the number of shares existing before such issuance. Accordingly, holders of warrants whose preemptive rights had not yet been exercised shall be entitled to maintain the right to subscribe the same percentage interest in our capital stock as they were entitled to prior to such new issuance. The number of shares granted upon the exercise of the warrants will also be adjusted in order to reflect capital reductions, stock splits, reverse stock splits and share bonuses transactions, if any. Such adjustments will also apply to the issue of new warrants, debentures or other securities convertible into our common shares.
The exercise price of the Second Series Warrants will be equal to the tender offer prices described above under “—Second Series Warrants.”
The right conferred by the Second Series Warrants may be exercised by their holders by sending notice to us within ten business days from the date of the public announcement of the applicable tender offer. The Second Series Warrants may be exercised only if our founding shareholders continue to own in the aggregate at least 80% of the number of shares held by them immediately after consummation of our 2006 initial public offering. On the date hereof, our founding shareholders own 100% of the number of shares they held immediately after the consummation of our 2006 initial public offering.
The shares to be acquired under the Second Series Warrants will be entitled to the same rights granted to our other shares.
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Holders of Second Series Warrants
As of the date of this annual report, the holders of our Second Series Warrants are:
Adjustment in the Event of a Corporate Restructuring
In the event of any corporate restructuring or similar action, apart from such events mentioned above and which may have an impact on or represent a reduction of the rights of the holders of the First Series Warrants or the Second Series Warrants, it is stipulated in the meeting of our board of directors held on March 15, 2006 that we shall use our best efforts to negotiate with the holders of the First Series Warrants and Second Series Warrants, as appropriate, to set forth new exercise conditions, seeking to preserve the rights originally granted to the holders of such warrants, their economic and corporate value, the amount of underlying shares and their exercise price. For the purpose of such negotiation, decisions by the holders of the warrants shall be determined through a majority vote, and the holders of the First Series Warrants and the Second Series Warrants shall negotiate and vote separately. Any disputes will be submitted to the Arbitration Chamber of the B3 (Câmara de Arbitragem do Mercado) pursuant to our bylaws.
See “Item 4—Information on the Company—Business Overview—Material Agreements.”
There are no restrictions on ownership or voting of our capital stock by individuals or legal entities domiciled outside Brazil. However, the right to convert dividend payments, interest on shareholders’ equity payments and proceeds from the sale of our capital stock into foreign currency and to remit such amounts outside Brazil is subject to restrictions under foreign investment legislation and foreign exchange regulations, which generally require, among other things, the registration of the relevant investment with the Central Bank and the CVM.
Investments in our common shares by (i) a holder not deemed to be domiciled in Brazil for Brazilian tax purposes, (ii) a non-Brazilian holder who is registered with the CVM under Resolution No. 4,373, or (iii) the depositary, are eligible for registration with the Central Bank. This registration (the amount so registered is referred to as registered capital) allows the remittance outside Brazil of foreign currency, converted at the commercial market rate, acquired with the proceeds of distributions on, and amounts realized through, dispositions of our common shares. The registered capital per common share purchased in the form of an American Depositary Security, or ADS, or purchased in Brazil and deposited with the depositary in exchange for an ADS, will be equal to its purchase price (stated in U.S. dollars). The registered capital per common share withdrawn upon cancellation of a Common ADS will be the U.S. dollar equivalent of (1) the average price of a common share on the B3 on the day of withdrawal, or (2) if no common shares were traded on that day, the average price on the B3 in the 15 trading sessions immediately preceding such withdrawal. The U.S. dollar equivalent will be determined on the basis of the average commercial market rates quoted by the Central Bank on the relevant dates.
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Annex V Regulations
Resolution No. 1,927 of the National Monetary Council, as amended, provides for the issuance of depositary receipts in foreign markets in respect of shares of Brazilian issuers. It restates and amends Annex V to Resolution No. 1,289 of the National Monetary Council, known as the Annex V Regulations. The ADS program was approved under the Annex V Regulations by the Central Bank and the CVM prior to the issuance of the ADSs.
Accordingly, the proceeds from the sale of ADSs by ADR holders outside Brazil are not subject to Brazilian foreign investment controls, and holders of the ADSs who are not resident in a Tax Haven Jurisdiction are entitled to favorable tax treatment. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation— Brazilian Tax Considerations.”
We pay dividends and other cash distributions with respect to our common shares in reais. We have obtained an electronic certificate of foreign capital registration from the Central Bank in the name of the depositary with respect to our ADSs to be maintained by the custodian on behalf of the depositary. Pursuant to this registration, the custodian is able to convert dividends and other distributions with respect to our common shares represented by ADSs into foreign currency and remit the proceeds outside Brazil to the depositary so that the depositary may distribute these proceeds to the holders of record of the ADSs.
Investors residing outside Brazil may register their investments in our shares as foreign portfolio investments under Resolution No. 4,373 (described below) or as foreign direct investments under Law No. 4,131 (described below). Registration under Resolution No. 4,373 or Law No. 4,131 generally enables non-Brazilian investors to convert dividends, other distributions and sales proceeds received in connection with registered investments into foreign currency and to remit such amounts outside Brazil. Registration under Resolution No. 4,373 affords favorable tax treatment to non-Brazilian portfolio investors who are not resident in a Tax Haven Jurisdiction. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations.”
In the event that a holder of ADSs exchanges those ADSs for the underlying common shares, the holder must:
The custodian is authorized to update the depositary’s electronic registration to reflect conversions of ADSs into foreign portfolio investments under Resolution No. 4,373.
If a holder of ADSs elects to convert its ADSs into a foreign direct investment under Law No. 4,131, the conversion will be effected by the Central Bank after receipt of an electronic request from the custodian with details of the transaction. If a foreign direct investor under Law No. 4,131 elects to deposit its common shares into the relevant ADR program in exchange for ADSs, such holder will be required to present to the custodian evidence of payment of capital gains taxes. The conversion will be effected by the Central Bank after receipt of an electronic request from the custodian with details of the transaction. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations” for details of the tax consequences to an investor residing outside Brazil of investing in our common shares in Brazil.
If a holder of ADSs wishes to convert its investment in our shares into either a foreign portfolio investment under Resolution No. 4,373 or a foreign direct investment under Law No. 4,131, it should begin the process of obtaining its own foreign investor registration with the Central Bank or with the CVM, as the case may be, in advance of exchanging the ADSs for the underlying common shares. A non-Brazilian holder of common shares may experience delays in obtaining a foreign investor registration, which may delay remittances outside Brazil, which may in turn adversely affect the amount, in U.S. dollars, received by the non-Brazilian holder.
Unless the holder has registered its investment with the Central Bank, the holder may not be able to convert the proceeds from the disposition of, or distributions with respect to, such common shares into foreign currency or remit those proceeds outside Brazil. In addition, if the non-Brazilian investor resides in a Tax Haven Jurisdiction or is not an investor registered under Resolution No. 4,373, the investor will be subject to less favorable tax treatment than a holder of ADSs. See “Item 10—Additional Information—Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations.”
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Resolution 4,373
On September 29, 2014, the CMN issued Resolution No. 4,373, which provides for the new mechanism for non-resident investments in the Brazilian financial and capital markets. Resolution No. 4,373 became effective on March 30, 2015. Resolution No. 4,373 was the prior mechanism for that and its provisions were significantly the same as the ones described below.
All investments made by a non-Brazilian investor under Resolution No. 4,373 are subject to an electronic registration with the Central Bank. This registration permits non-Brazilian investors to convert dividend payments, interest on shareholders’ equity payments and proceeds from the sale of our share capital into foreign currency and to remit such amounts outside Brazil.
Under Resolution No. 4,373, non-Brazilian investors registered with the CVM may invest in almost all financial assets and engage in almost all transactions available to Brazilian investors in the Brazilian financial and capital markets without obtaining a separate Central Bank registration for each transaction, provided that certain requirements are fulfilled. Under Resolution No. 4,373, the definition of a non-Brazilian investor includes individuals, legal entities, mutual funds and other collective investment entities, domiciled or headquartered outside Brazil.
Pursuant to Resolution No. 4,373, non-Brazilian investors must:
The securities and other financial assets held by a non-Brazilian investor pursuant to Resolution No. 4,373 must be registered or maintained in deposit accounts or under the custody of an entity duly licensed by the Central Bank or the CVM or be registered in registration, clearing and custody systems authorized by the Central Bank or by the CVM. In addition, the trading of securities held under Resolution No. 4,373 is restricted to transactions carried out on stock exchanges or through organized over-the-counter markets licensed by the CVM.
The offshore transfer or assignment of the securities or other financial assets held by non-Brazilian investors pursuant to Resolution No. 4,373 are prohibited, except for transfers resulting from a corporate reorganization effected abroad by a non-Brazilian investor, or occurring upon the death of an investor by operation of law or will.
Law 4,131
To obtain a certificate of foreign capital registration from the Central Bank under Law No. 4,131, a foreign direct investor must:
Foreign direct investors under Law No. 4,131 may sell their shares in either private or open market transactions, but these investors will generally be subject to less favorable tax treatment on gains with respect to our common shares. See “Item 10—Additional Information— Taxation—Brazilian Tax Considerations.”
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The following discussion contains a description of the material Brazilian and U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common shares or ADSs. The following discussion does not purport to be a comprehensive description of all the tax considerations that may be relevant to a decision to purchase, hold or dispose of our common shares or ADSs. This discussion is based upon the tax laws of Brazil and the United States and regulations under these tax laws as currently in effect, which are subject to change.
Although there is at present no income tax treaty between Brazil and the United States, the tax authorities of the two countries have had discussions that may culminate in such a treaty. No assurance can be given, however, as to whether or when a treaty will enter into force or how it will affect the U.S. holders of our common shares or ADSs.
Prospective purchasers of our common shares or ADSs should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common shares or ADSs in their particular circumstances.
Brazilian Tax Considerations
The following discussion contains a description of the material Brazilian tax consequences, subject to the limitations set forth herein, of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common shares or ADSs by a holder not deemed to be domiciled in Brazil for purposes of Brazilian taxation, or a Non-Resident Holder. This discussion is based on the tax laws of Brazil and regulations thereunder in effect on the date hereof, which are subject to change (possibly with retroactive effect). This discussion does not specifically address all of the Brazilian tax considerations that may be applicable to any particular Non-Resident Holder. Therefore, each Non-Resident Holder should consult its own tax advisor about the Brazilian tax consequences of an investment in our common shares or ADSs.
Individuals domiciled in Brazil and Brazilian companies are taxed in Brazil on the basis of their worldwide income which includes earnings of Brazilian companies’ foreign subsidiaries, branches and affiliates. The earnings of branches of foreign companies and non-Brazilian residents, or nonresidents, in general are taxed in Brazil only on income derived from Brazilian sources.
Dividends paid by a Brazilian corporation, such as us, including stock dividends and other dividends paid to a Non-Resident Holder of our common shares or ADSs, are currently not subject to income tax withholding in Brazil to the extent that such amounts are related to profits generated after January 1, 1996. Dividends paid from profits generated before January 1, 1996 may be subject to Brazilian income tax withholding at varying rates, according to the tax legislation applicable to each corresponding year.
On September 16, 2013, Brazilian tax authorities issued Normative Ruling 1,397/13, which, among other things, established rules regarding the withholding tax exemption on dividend distributions. According to Normative Ruling 1,397/13, the withholding tax exemption on dividend income would only be applicable to dividends distributed out of profits determined in accordance with Brazilian accounting rules that were effective until December 31, 2007 (old Brazilian GAAP). In this sense, if (i) taxpayers make dividend distributions based on new Brazilian accounting rules already conforming to IFRS principles, and (ii) such distributions are made in excess of the dividends that could have been distributed had the profits been determined in accordance with Brazilian accounting rules that were effective until December 31, 2007, the “excess distribution” would be deemed as taxable income in the hands of the beneficiary and subject to withholding income tax at the rate of 15% or 25%.
With the enactment of Law 12,973/14, this taxation has been eliminated, since this law determined the exemption of Income Tax on the excess distribution of dividends provided that these have been assessed from 2008 to 2013 and from 2015 onwards. The risk for the dividends paid in excess remains only with respect to profit accrued in 2014 for legal entities that have not opted for the advance of effects of Law 12,973/14 for 2014, due to the provisions of RFB Regulatory Instruction 1,492/14.
Law No. 9,249, of December 26, 1995, as amended, allows a Brazilian corporation, such as us, to make distributions to shareholders of interest on shareholders’ equity, and treat those payments as a deductible expense for purposes of calculating Brazilian corporate income tax, and, since 1997, social contribution tax on net profit as well, as long as the limits described below are observed. These distributions may be paid in cash. For tax purposes, the deductible amount of this interest is limited to the daily pro rata variation of the TJLP, as determined by the Central Bank from time to time, and the amount of the deduction may not exceed the greater of:
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Payment of interest on shareholders’ equity to a Non-Resident Holder is subject to withholding income tax at the rate of 15%, or 25% if the Non-Resident Holder is domiciled in (i) a country or location that does not impose income tax, or (ii) where the maximum income tax rate is lower than 20.0%, or (iii) a Tax Haven Jurisdiction. See “Interpretation of the Discussion of the Definition of “Tax Haven Jurisdictions” below.
These payments of interest on shareholders’ equity to a Non-Resident Holder may be included, at their net value, as part of any mandatory dividend. To the extent payment of interest on shareholders’ equity is so included, we are required to distribute to shareholders an additional amount to ensure that the net amount received by them, after payment of the applicable income tax withholding, plus the amount of declared dividends, is at least equal to the mandatory dividend.
Payments of interest on shareholders’ equity are decided by our shareholders, at our annual shareholders meeting, on the basis of recommendations of our board of directors. No assurance can be given that our board of directors will not recommend that future distributions of profits should be made by means of interest on shareholders’ equity instead of by means of dividends.
Taxation of Gains
Under Law No. 10,833/2003, the gain on the disposition or sale of assets located in Brazil by a Non-Resident Holder, whether to another non-Brazilian resident or to a Brazilian resident, may be subject to income tax withholding in Brazil.
With respect to the disposition of our common shares, as they are assets located in Brazil, the Non-Resident Holder should be subject to income tax on the gains assessed, following the rules described below, regardless of whether the transactions are conducted in Brazil or with a Brazilian resident.
With respect to our ADSs, although the matter is not entirely clear, arguably the gains realized by a Non-Resident Holder upon the disposition of ADSs to another non-Brazilian resident will not be taxed in Brazil, on the basis that ADSs are not “assets located in Brazil” for the purposes of Law No. 10,833/2003. We cannot assure you, however, that the Brazilian tax authorities or the Brazilian courts will agree with this interpretation. As a result, gains on a disposition of ADSs by a Non-Resident Holder to a Brazilian resident, or even to a non-Brazilian resident, in the event that courts determine that ADSs would constitute assets located in Brazil, may be subject to income tax in Brazil according to the rules applicable to our common shares, described below.
As a general rule, gains realized as a result of a disposition of our common shares or ADSs are the positive difference between the amount realized on the transaction and the acquisition cost of our common shares or ADSs.
Under Brazilian law, however, income tax rules on such gains can vary depending on the domicile of the Non-Resident Holder, the type of registration of the investment by the Non-Resident Holder with the Central Bank and how the disposition is carried out, as described below.
Gains realized on a disposition of shares carried out on a Brazilian stock exchange (which includes the organized over-the-counter market) are:
In the case of redemption of securities or capital reduction by a Brazilian corporation, such as us, the positive difference between the amount effectively received by the Non-Resident Holder and the corresponding acquisition cost is treated, for tax purposes, as capital gain derived from sale or exchange of shares not carried out on a Brazilian stock exchange market, and is therefore subject to income tax at the rate of 15% or 25%, as the case may be.
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The deposit of our common shares in exchange for ADSs will be subject to Brazilian income tax if the acquisition cost of the shares is lower than (1) the average price per share on a Brazilian stock exchange on which the greatest number of such shares were sold on the day of deposit, or (2) if no shares were sold on that day, the average price on the Brazilian stock exchange on which the greatest number of shares were sold in the 15 trading sessions immediately preceding such deposit. In such case, the difference between the acquisition cost and the average price of the shares calculated as above will be considered to be a capital gain subject to income tax withholding at the rate of 15% or 25%, as the case may be. In some circumstances, there may be arguments to claim that this taxation is not applicable in the case of a Non-Resident Holder that is a 4,373 Holder and is not a resident in a Tax Haven Jurisdiction for this purpose. The availability of these arguments to any specific holder of our common shares will depend on the circumstances of such holder. Prospective holders of our common shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of the deposit of our common shares in exchange for ADSs.
Any exercise of preemptive rights relating to our common shares or ADSs will not be subject to Brazilian taxation. Any gain on the sale or assignment of preemptive rights relating to our common shares, including the sale or assignment carried out by the depositary, on behalf of Non-Resident Holders of ADSs, will be subject to Brazilian income taxation according to the same rules applicable to the sale or disposition of our common shares.
Interpretation of the Discussion of the Definition of “Tax Haven Jurisdictions”
On November 28, 2014 Brazilian tax authorities enacted Normative Instruction No. 488 listing (i) the countries and jurisdictions considered Tax Haven Jurisdictions (countries and jurisdictions that do not tax income or tax it at a rate below 17% or where the local legislation does not allow access to information related to the shareholding composition of legal entities or to their ownership or to the identity of the effective beneficiary of the income attributed to non-residents), and (ii) the privileged tax regimes, which definition is provided by Law No. 11,727, of June 23, 2008. Although we believe that the best interpretation of the current tax legislation could lead to the conclusion that the above mentioned “privileged tax regime” concept should apply solely for purposes of Brazilian transfer pricing and thin capitalization rules, we cannot assure you whether subsequent legislation or interpretations by the Brazilian tax authorities regarding the definition of a “privileged tax regime” provided by Law No. 11,727 will also apply to a Non-Resident Holder on payments potentially made by a Brazilian source.
We recommend prospective investors to consult their own tax advisors from time to time to verify any possible tax consequences arising of Normative Instruction No. 1,037 and Law No. 11,727. If the Brazilian tax authorities determine that the concept of “privileged tax regime” provided by Law No. 11,727 will also apply to a Non-Resident Holder on payments potentially made by a Brazilian source the withholding income tax applicable to such payments could be assessed at a rate up to 25%.
Tax on Foreign Exchange Transactions (IOF/Exchange Tax)
Brazilian law imposes the IOF/Exchange Tax on the conversion of reais into foreign currency and on the conversion of foreign currency into reais. Foreign exchange agreements entered into as from October 7, 2014 in connection with inflows of funds related to investments carried out by Non- Resident Holders in the Brazilian financial and capital markets are subject to the IOF/Exchange Tax at a zero percent rate. Foreign exchange transactions related to outflows of funds in connection with investments made in the Brazilian financial and capital markets are subject to IOF/Exchange Tax at a zero percent rate. This zero percent rate applies to payments of dividends and interest on shareholders’ equity to Non-Resident Holders with respect to investments in the Brazilian financial and capital markets. Other than these transactions, the rate applicable to most foreign exchange transactions is 0.38%. Other rates may apply to particular transactions and the Brazilian government may increase the rate at any time up to 25% on the foreign exchange transaction amount. However, any increase in rates is only authorized to apply to future transactions.
Tax on Transactions Involving Bonds and Securities (IOF/Securities Tax)
Brazilian law also imposes the IOF/Securities Tax due on transactions involving bonds and securities, including those carried out on a Brazilian stock exchange. The rate of the IOF/Securities Tax applicable to transactions involving our common shares is currently zero. However, the rate of the IOF/Securities Tax applicable to the transfer of our common shares with the specific purpose of enabling the issuance of ADSs is currently zero. This rate is applied on the product of (1) the number of shares which are transferred, multiplied by (2) the closing price for those shares on the date prior to the transfer or, if such closing price is not available on that date, the last available closing price for those shares. The Brazilian government may increase the rate of the IOF/Securities Tax at any time up to 1.5% per day of the transaction amount, but only in respect of transactions carried out after the increase in rate enters into force.
Other Brazilian Taxes
There are no Brazilian inheritance, gift or succession taxes applicable to the ownership, transfer or disposition of our common shares or ADSs by a Non-Resident Holder except for gift and inheritance taxes levied by some states in Brazil. There are no Brazilian stamp, issue, registration, or similar taxes or duties payable by Non-Resident Holders of our common shares or ADSs.
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U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations
The following summary describes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership, and disposition of our common shares and ADSs as of the date hereof. Except where noted, this discussion deals only with U.S. Holders (as defined below) that hold our common shares or ADSs as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes (generally, property held for investment). This summary does not represent a detailed description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to you if you are subject to special treatment under the U.S. federal income tax laws, including if you are:
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As used herein, “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of our common shares or ADSs that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
The discussion below is based upon the provisions of the Code, and regulations, rulings and judicial decisions thereunder at the date hereof, and such authorities may be repealed, revoked or modified (possibly on a retroactive basis) so as to result in U.S. federal income tax consequences different from those discussed below. In addition, this summary is based, in part, upon representations made by the depositary to us and assumes that the deposit agreement, and all other related agreements, will be performed in accordance with their terms.
If a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds our common shares or ADSs, the tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partner of a partnership holding our common shares or ADSs, you should consult your tax advisors.
This summary does not contain a detailed description of all the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you in light of your particular circumstances and does not address the Medicare tax on net investment income or the effects of any state, local or non-U.S. tax laws.
If you are considering the purchase, ownership or disposition of our common shares or ADSs, you should consult your own tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you in light of your particular situation as well as any consequences arising under other U.S. federal tax laws and the laws of any other tax jurisdiction.
ADSs
If you hold ADSs, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, you generally will be treated as the owner of the underlying common shares that are represented by such ADSs. Accordingly, deposits or withdrawals of our common shares for ADSs will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax.
Taxation of Distributions
Subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company” below, distributions on our common shares or ADSs (including amounts withheld to reflect Brazilian withholding taxes and distributions of interest on shareholders’ equity, as described above under “—Brazilian Tax Considerations”) will be taxable as dividends to the extent paid out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles. Such dividends (including withheld taxes) will be includable in your gross income as ordinary income on the day actually or constructively received by you, in the case of our common shares, or by the depositary, in the case of our ADSs. Such dividends, however, will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction allowed to corporations.
Under current law, dividends received by non-corporate U.S. shareholders of qualified foreign corporations will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at lower rates than other types of ordinary income if certain conditions are met. A foreign corporation generally is treated as a qualified foreign corporation with respect to dividends received from that corporation on shares (or ADSs backed by such shares) that are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. U.S. Treasury Department guidance indicates that our ADSs (which are listed on the NYSE), but not our common shares, are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Thus, we do not believe that dividends that we pay on our common shares that are not represented by ADSs currently meet the conditions required for these reduced tax rates. There can be no assurance that our ADSs will be considered readily tradable on an established securities market in later years. Non-corporate holders that do not meet a minimum holding period requirement during which they are not protected from the risk of loss or that elect to treat the dividend income as “investment income” pursuant to Section 163(d)(4) of the Code will not be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation regardless of our status as a qualified foreign corporation. In addition, the rate reduction will not apply to dividends if the recipient of a dividend is obligated to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. This disallowance applies even if the minimum holding period has been met. You should consult your tax advisors regarding the application of this legislation to your particular circumstances.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, non-corporate U.S. Holders will not be eligible for reduced rates of taxation on any dividends received from us if we are a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) in the taxable year in which such dividends are paid or in the preceding taxable year (as discussed under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company” below).
The amount of any dividend paid in reais will equal the U.S. dollar value of the reais received, calculated by reference to the exchange rate in effect at the date the dividend is actually or constructively received by you, in the case of our common shares, or by the depositary, in the case of our ADSs, regardless of whether the reais are converted into U.S. dollars at that time. If the reais received as a dividend are not converted into U.S. dollars at the date of receipt, you will have a tax basis in reais equal to their U.S. dollar value at the date of receipt. Any gain or loss realized on a subsequent conversion or other disposition of reais will be treated as U.S. source ordinary income or loss.
Subject to certain conditions and limitations, Brazilian withholding taxes on dividends may be treated as foreign taxes eligible for credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability. For purposes of calculating the foreign tax credit, dividends paid on our common shares or ADSs will be treated as income from sources outside the United States and will generally constitute passive category income. Further, in certain circumstances, if you have held our common shares or ADSs for less than a specified minimum period during which you are not protected from risk of loss, or are obligated to make payments related to the dividends, you will not be allowed a foreign tax credit for foreign taxes imposed on dividends paid on our common shares or ADSs. If you do not elect to claim a U.S. foreign tax credit, you may instead claim a deduction for Brazilian income tax withheld, but only for a taxable year in which you elect to do so with respect to all foreign income taxes paid or accrued in such taxable year. The rules governing the foreign tax credit are complex. You are urged to consult your tax advisors regarding the availability of the foreign tax credit under your particular circumstances.
To the extent that the amount of any distribution (including amounts withheld to reflect Brazilian withholding taxes and distributions of interest on shareholders’ equity, as described above under “—Brazilian Tax Considerations”) exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits for a taxable year, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles, the distribution will first be treated as a tax-free return of capital, causing a reduction in the adjusted basis of our common shares or ADSs, and the balance in excess of adjusted basis will be taxed as capital gain recognized on a sale or exchange (as discussed below under “—Taxation of Capital Gains”). However, we do not expect to keep earnings and profits in accordance with U.S. federal income tax principles. Therefore, you should expect that a distribution will generally be treated as a dividend (as discussed above).
Distributions of common shares or ADSs that are received as part of a pro rata distribution to all of our shareholders generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax.
Passive Foreign Investment Company
In general, we will be a PFIC for any taxable year in which:
For purposes of determining whether we are a PFIC, cash is a passive asset and passive income generally includes dividends, interest, royalties and rents (other than royalties and rents derived in the active conduct of a trade or business and not derived from a related person). In addition, income from commodities transactions is generally considered passive unless such income is derived in the active conduct of a commodities business. If we own at least 25% (by value) of the stock of another corporation, we will be treated, for purposes of the PFIC tests, as owning our proportionate share of the other corporation’s assets and receiving our proportionate share of the other corporation’s income.
Based on the composition of our income and assets, including goodwill, we do not believe that we were classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for our most recent taxable year. The rules in this regard are not entirely clear, however, and there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) will not successfully assert a contrary position. In addition, the determination of whether we are a PFIC is made annually. Accordingly, it is possible that our status as a PFIC may change in any future taxable year due to changes in our asset or income composition. Although the determination of whether we are a PFIC is made annually, if we are a PFIC for any taxable year in which you hold our common shares or ADSs, you will be subject to special tax rules discussed below for that year and for each subsequent year in which you hold the common shares or ADSs (even if we do not qualify as a PFIC in such subsequent years). However, if we cease to be a PFIC, you can avoid the continuing impact of the PFIC rules by making a special election (a “Purging Election”) to recognize gain in the manner described below as if your common shares or ADSs had been sold on the last day of the last taxable year during which we were a PFIC. In addition, a new holding period would be deemed to begin for your common shares or ADSs for purposes of the PFIC rules. After the Purging Election, your common shares or ADSs with respect to which the Purging Election was made will not be treated as shares in a PFIC unless we subsequently become a PFIC. You are urged to consult your own tax advisor about the availability of this election, and whether making the election would be advisable in your particular circumstances.
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If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold our common shares or ADSs, and you do not make a mark-to-market election, as described below, you will be subject to special tax rules with respect to any “excess distribution” received and any gain realized from a sale or other disposition, including a pledge, of common shares or ADSs. Distributions received in a taxable year that are greater than 125% of the average annual distributions received during the shorter of the three preceding taxable years or your holding period for the common shares or ADSs will be treated as excess distributions. Under these special tax rules:
You will also generally be required to file IRS Form 8621 if you hold our common shares or ADSs in any year in which we are classified as a PFIC.
If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which you hold our common shares or ADSs and any of our non-U.S. subsidiaries is also a PFIC, you will be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the shares of the lower-tier PFIC for purposes of the application of these rules. You are urged to consult your tax advisors about the application of the PFIC rules to any of our subsidiaries.
In certain circumstances, in lieu of being subject to the rules discussed above, with respect to excess distributions and recognized gains, you may make an election to include gain on the stock of a PFIC as ordinary income under a mark-to-market method, provided that such stock is regularly traded on a qualified exchange. Under current law, the mark-to-market election may be available to holders of ADSs because the ADSs are listed on the NYSE, which constitutes a qualified exchange, although there can be no assurance that the ADSs will be “regularly traded” for purposes of the mark-to-market election. It should also be noted that only our ADSs and not our common shares are listed on a qualified stock exchange in the United States. Our common shares are listed on the B3, which must meet certain trading, listing, financial disclosure and other requirements to be treated as a qualified exchange under applicable U.S. Treasury regulations for purposes of the mark-to-market election, and no assurance can be given that our common shares will be “regularly traded” for purposes of the mark-to-market election.
If you make an effective mark-to-market election, you will include in each year that we are a PFIC as ordinary income the excess of the fair market value of your common shares or ADSs at the end of the year over your adjusted tax basis in the common shares or ADSs. You will be entitled to deduct as an ordinary loss in each such year the excess of your adjusted tax basis in the common shares or ADSs over their fair market value at the end of the year, but only to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. If you make an effective mark-to-market election, in each year that we are a PFIC any gain you recognize upon the sale or other disposition of your common shares or ADSs will be treated as ordinary income and any loss will be treated as ordinary loss, but only to the extent of the net amount of previously included income as a result of the mark-to-market election.
Your adjusted tax basis in the common shares or ADSs will be increased by the amount of any income inclusion and decreased by the amount of any deductions under the mark-to-market rules. If you make a mark-to-market election, it will be effective for the taxable year for which the election is made and all subsequent taxable years unless the common shares or ADSs are no longer regularly traded on a qualified exchange or the IRS consents to the revocation of the election. You are urged to consult your tax advisor about the availability of the mark-to-market election, and whether making the election would be advisable in your particular circumstances.
Alternatively, you can sometimes avoid the rules described above by electing to treat a PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under Section 1295 of the Code. However, this option is not available to you because we do not intend to comply with the requirements necessary to permit you to make this election.
You are urged to consult your tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences of holding common shares or ADSs if we are considered a PFIC in any taxable year.
Taxation of Capital Gains
You generally will recognize taxable gain or loss upon the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our common shares or ADSs equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of such common shares or ADSs and your adjusted tax basis in such common shares or ADSs. Subject to the discussion under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company” above, such gain or loss will generally be capital gain or loss. Capital gains or losses will be long-term capital gain or loss if our common shares or ADSs have been held for more than one year. Certain non-corporate U.S. Holders (including individuals) may be eligible for preferential rates of U.S. federal income tax in respect of long-term capital gains. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations under the Code.
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If a Brazilian income tax is withheld on the sale or other disposition of our common shares or ADSs, your amount realized will include the gross amount of the proceeds of that sale or other disposition before deduction of the Brazilian income tax. Capital gain or loss, if any, realized by you on the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our common shares or ADSs generally will be treated as U.S. source gain or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Consequently, in the case of gain from the disposition of common shares or ADSs that is subject to Brazilian income tax, you may not be able to benefit from the foreign tax credit for that Brazilian income tax (i.e., because the gain from the disposition would be U.S. source), unless you can apply the credit (subject to applicable limitations) against U.S. federal income tax payable on other income from foreign sources. Alternatively, you may take a deduction for the Brazilian income tax if you do not take a credit for any foreign taxes paid or accrued during the taxable year.
You should note that any Brazilian IOF/Exchange Tax or IOF/Securities Tax (as discussed above under “—Brazilian Tax Considerations”) generally will not be treated as a creditable foreign tax for U.S. federal income tax purposes, although you may be entitled to deduct such taxes, subject to applicable limitations under the Code. You should consult your tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of these taxes.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
In general, information reporting will apply to dividends (including distributions of interest on shareholders’ equity) in respect of our common shares or ADSs and the proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of our common shares or ADSs that are paid to you within the United States (and in certain cases, outside the United States), unless you establish that you are an exempt recipient, such as a corporation. A backup withholding tax may apply to such payments if you fail to provide your correct taxpayer identification number or certification of exempt status or fail to report in full dividend and interest income.
Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be allowed as a refund or a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
The above description is not intended to constitute a complete analysis of all tax consequences relating to the acquisition, ownership or disposition of our common shares or ADSs. Each holder should consult such holder’s own tax advisor concerning the overall tax consequences to it, including the consequences under laws other than U.S. federal income tax laws, of an investment in our common shares or ADSs.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, which requires that we file periodic reports and other information with the SEC. As a foreign private issuer, we file annual reports on Form 20-F as opposed to Form 10-K. We do not file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q but furnish reports on Form 6-K.
Our reports and other information filed by us with the SEC are available on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov and may also be inspected and copied by the public at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at Station Place, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C.
20549.
From time to time, we may use our website as a channel of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding our company is routinely posted on and accessible at www.brasil-agro.com. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this annual report.
We furnish The Bank of New York, as the depositary of our ADSs, with annual reports in English, which include a review of operations and our audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS, and our Annual Report on Form 20-F. Upon our request, the depositary will promptly mail such reports to all record holders of ADSs. We also furnish to the depositary, in English, all notices of shareholders’ meetings and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. Upon our request, the depositary will make such notices, reports and communications available to holders of ADSs and will mail to all record holders of ADSs a notice containing a summary of the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’ meeting it receives.
As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the Exchange Act rules prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements. As a foreign private issuer, we are also exempt from the Exchange Act rules relating to short-swing profit disclosure and liability.
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ITEM 11—QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are exposed to market risks arising in the normal course of our business. Market risks are beyond our control and consist of the possibility that changes in interest rates, exchange rates, the market prices of our products and credit risks may adversely affect the value of our financial assets and liabilities or our future cash flows or earnings.
Foreign Exchange Risks
Certain of our income is linked to the exchange rate between the real and the U.S. dollar, and consequently our revenues are impacted by foreign exchange fluctuations. Certain of our commodities, such as soybean, may be priced in reais or in U.S. dollars. In addition, certain of the inputs necessary for farming production, such as chemicals, pesticides and fertilizers, may be priced in or based on the U.S. dollar. In order to reduce the impact on revenue, we seek to limit our foreign exchange exposure to 5% of our total expected revenue from commodities typically priced in U.S. dollars.
On June 30, 2019, we had a short position in U.S. dollars in the amount of US$41.9 million. The result of a hypothetical devaluation of 5% of the real in relation to the dollar would generate a loss before taxes of R$6.4 million.
Interest Rate Risks
Exposure to interest rates subjects us and our subsidiaries to risks arising from the effect of interest rate fluctuations on our financial assets and liabilities. A portion of our indebtedness is subject to fixed rates of interest, while only our financings with BNDES are subject to variable rates indexed to the TJLP rate. We do not engage in hedging transactions with respect to such financings because we believe the interest rates charged thereon are lower than typical rates in the Brazilian market.
If our volume of funds invested in financial instruments indexed to the CDI rate remains the same with June 30, 2019 as a base date, a hypothetical decrease in the CDI rate of 10% would reduce our income by R$54.4 thousand monthly.
Farming Commodity Risks
A reduction in commodity prices would affect our margins and operating results. Commodity price variations are associated with global supply and demand, as well as climatic, technological, commercial and economic conditions and government policies. To reduce these risks to us from commodity price variations, we use financial instruments such as derivatives and over-the-counter instruments including options and futures contracts negotiated in the commodities market throughout the ordinary course of our crop cycles, from the purchase of inputs to crop planting up until harvest. We believe that the maintenance of our current hedging policy is necessary to minimize the risks related to commodity price variations.
On June 30, 2019, we had a short position in soybean derivatives (CBOT-futures, options and OTC contracts) in the total volume of 1,820 thousand bags.
Considering sales volumes hedged by derivatives and the soybean price as of June 30, 2019, we believe that a hypothetical decrease of 5% in the price of soybean not hedged by derivatives would decrease our expected revenues from grain sales for the next 12 months by R$8.3 million.
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Risk Management and Hedging Policies
We are exposed to risks derived from commodity price variations for such products as soybean, corn, sugarcane, rice and sorghum, as well as foreign-exchange variations. We hedge our exposure to commodity price risks for our transactions through over-the-counter instruments and maintain our exposures within pre-established limits. Such financial instruments include (i) commodity price and exchange rate swap contracts; (ii) currency contracts that provide a fixed exchange rate in reais for our dollar-denominated receivables and chargeables; (iii) commodity futures contracts for soybean, corn and ethanol that allow us to buy or sell commodities at predetermined prices; and (v) options contracts that allow us to acquire the right to buy or sell an asset at a preset price by a certain date. Since these transactions are normally made in U.S. dollars, we hedge our exposure to foreign-exchange risks by entering into contracts with fixed exchange rates. We have set our limit of foreign-exchange exposure to 5% of the total revenue expected from the sale of each commodity produced by us.
Our risk management policy seeks to protect our cash flows and expenditures, and thus we monitor the volatility and historical patterns of the primary market trends that affect our revenue and production costs, including (i) commodity prices, commonly determined in U.S. dollars; (ii) differences between domestic and international market prices of our commodities; (iii) exchange rates; and (iv) prices impacting our principal production costs, including, fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals.
In addition to monitoring these trends, our strategic planning department analyzes them in light of our exposures and positions in the market and prepares reports on a regular basis analyzing such risks in the light of simulations under various hypothetical situations indicating the effects on our results of different variations in market prices and conditions. Such analysis and reports include the monitoring and assessment of: (i) the status of the commercialization and delivery of our products; (ii) updates regarding our estimated planted area and production volumes; (iii) the distribution of sales by product and type (such as futures contracts, options, fixed term contracts); (iv) market analysis and historical comparisons of the prices, rates and other indices that affect our gross revenue; (v) risk analysis models and simulations such as the Monte Carlo simulation, that analyze the volatility and sensitivity of our assets and the correlations that exist among such assets; and (vi) stress test analyses under different scenarios. Such reports are then delivered to our risk management committee, which develops the goals and limits of our hedging strategy and our hedging policy, which is defined and approved by our board of directors. Our risk management committee then supervises our strategic planning department in the implementation and the execution of our hedging strategy.
ITEM 12— DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
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The following table sets forth the fees and expenses that a holder of ADRs may have to pay pursuant to our Amended and Restated Deposit Agreement, dated as of November 6, 2012 (the “Deposit Agreement”), with The Bank of New York Mellon, as depositary, in connection with our ADS program:
Fee and Reimbursement Provisions
The fee and reimbursement provisions described in rows seven and eight of the table above may, at the depositary’s discretion, be billed to the holders of ADSs or deducted from one or more cash dividends or other cash distributions. For the year ended June 30, 2019, the annual fee for depositary services was charged to holders of ADSs.
A form of the Deposit Agreement is filed as Exhibit 2.1 to this annual report on Form 20-F. We encourage you to review this document carefully if you are a holder of ADSs.
Payment of Taxes
ADS holders are responsible for any taxes or other governmental charges payable on our ADSs or on the deposited securities represented by any of our ADSs. The depositary may refuse to register any transfer of our ADSs or allow the withdrawal of the deposited securities represented by our ADSs until such taxes or other charges are paid. It may apply payments owed to ADS holders or sell deposited securities represented by ADSs to pay any taxes owed and ADS holders will remain liable for any deficiency. If the depositary sells deposited securities, it will, if appropriate, reduce the number of ADSs to reflect the sale and pay to ADS holders any proceeds, or send to ADS holders any property, remaining after it has paid the taxes.
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Part II
ITEM 13—DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES
None.
ITEM 14—MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS
ITEM 15—CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
As of the end of the period covered by this annual report on Form 20-F, management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a- 15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. Any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objective. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Administrative Officer, concluded that, as of June 30, 2019, the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
The management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.
The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive and financial officers and effected by the Company’s board of directors, management, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with IFRS, as issued by IASB.
The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements on a timely basis. Therefore even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation.
Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management performed an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting on June 30, 2019, utilizing the criteria described in the “Internal Control—Integrated Framework” (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. The objective of this assessment was to determine whether our internal control over financial reporting was effective on June 30, 2019. Based on this assessment, management has concluded that, as of June 30, 2019, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Pursuant to applicable SEC rules, this annual report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm.
We will only be required to include this report once we become a large accelerated filer or otherwise cease to be an emerging growth company.
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the year ended June 30, 2019 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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ITEM 16A—AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
For the purposes of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, our board of directors established a fiscal council (“Fiscal Council”), which convenes at least quarterly, and as often as it determines is appropriate to carry out its responsibilities. This committee has responsibility for planning and reviewing our annual and quarterly reports and accounts with the involvement of our auditors during such process, focusing particularly on compliance with legal requirements and accounting standards. The ultimate responsibility for reviewing and approving our annual and quarterly reports and accounts remains with our board of directors.
Our board of directors has determined that Débora de Souza Morsch, a member of the Company’s Fiscal Council, is a “financial expert,” as such term is defined in the SEC rules. Ms. Morsch is independent, as such term is defined in the Novo Mercado listing rules. Our board of directors has determined that Ms. Morsch is independent under the standards of the NYSE listing rules and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act that would apply if the Company were not relying on the exemption provided in paragraph (c)(3) of Rule 10A-3, as described in “Item 16D—Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees.” See “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Board Practices” for information regarding Ms. Morsch’s experience.
ITEM 16B—CODE OF ETHICS
Under Section 303A.10 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, each U.S. company listed on the NYSE must adopt and disclose a code of business conduct and ethics for directors, officers and employees and promptly disclose any waivers of the code for directors or executive officers. We are subject to a similar requirement under Brazilian law, and we have adopted a code of ethics that applies to our officers and employees.
Our code of ethics, as well as further information concerning our corporate governance practices and applicable Brazilian law, is available on our website www.brasil-agro.com. Information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this annual report.
If we make any substantive amendment to the code of ethics or grant any waivers to our executive officers and controller, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the code of ethics, we intend to disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website. During the year ended June 30, 2019, no such amendment was made or waiver granted.
ITEM 16C—PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The following table describes the total amount of fees billed to us by our independent auditors for services performed in the fiscal years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018.
Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
Our board of directors has established pre-approval policies and procedures for the engagement of registered public accounting firms for audit and non-audit services. Under such pre-approval policies and procedures, our board of directors reviews the scope of the services to be provided by each registered public accounting firm to be engaged in order to ensure that there are no independence issues and the services are not prohibited under applicable rules.
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ITEM 16D—EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES
In establishing a permanent Fiscal Council, the Company has availed itself of paragraph (c)(3) of Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act, which provides a general exemption from the audit committee requirements for a foreign private issuer (such as the Company) with a Fiscal Council, subject to certain requirements.
NYSE rules require that listed companies have an audit committee that (i) is composed of a minimum of three independent directors who are all financially literate, (ii) meets the SEC rules regarding audit committees for listed companies, (iii) has at least one member who has accounting or financial management expertise and (iv) is governed by a written charter addressing the committee’s required purpose and detailing its required responsibilities. However, as a foreign private issuer, the Company may rely on an exemption from the requirement to have an audit committee. The Brazilian corporate law requires companies to have a non-permanent Fiscal Council composed of three to five members who are elected at the general shareholders’ meeting. The Fiscal Council operates independently from management and from a company’s external auditors. Its main function is to monitor the activities of management, examine the financial statements of each fiscal year and provide a formal report to our shareholders.
The Company has a permanent Fiscal Council that consists of three members and three alternates and which has ordinary meetings every month. The members of the Company’s Fiscal Council are all financially literate, and one member has accounting expertise that qualifies her as a financial expert. The Company believes that its Fiscal Council meets the requirements for the exemption available to foreign private issuers under the SEC rules regarding audit committees of listed companies. The Fiscal Council is not the equivalent of, or wholly comparable to, a U.S. audit committee. Among other differences, it is not required to meet the standards of “independence” established in Rule 10A-3 and is not fully empowered to act on matters that are required by Rule 10A-3 to be within the scope of an audit committee’s authority. Nonetheless, with the attributions that have been provided to the Fiscal Council to the extent permitted by Brazilian law, the Company believes that its current corporate governance system, taken as a whole, including the ability of the Fiscal Council to consult internal and external experts, is similar to a system having an audit committee functioning as a committee of its Board of Directors, the main difference being that the Fiscal Council does not have authority to appoint our independent auditors. This authority lies with the Company’s board of directors. Accordingly, the Company does not believe that its reliance on the exemption in paragraph (c)(3) of Rule 10A-3 materially adversely affects the ability of the Fiscal Council to act independently and to satisfy the other requirements of Rule 10A-3 to the extent permitted by the Brazilian corporate law. For a further discussion of our Fiscal Council, see “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees— Board Practices—Fiscal Council.”
ITEM 16E—PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS
During the year ended June 30, 2016, we acquired a total of 3,577,900 common shares under our share buyback program, which accounted for 10.55% of our shares outstanding (excluding the shares held by the controlling shareholder).
On September 20, 2016, we approved a new buyback program of common shares up to the limit of 1,337,684 common shares, not exceeding the balance of profits reserve available included in our balance sheet on June 30, 2016.
ITEM 16F—CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT
ITEM 16G—CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Under Section 303A.11 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual and Item 16G of the Form 20-F, we are required to disclose any significant differences in our corporate governance practices from those required to be followed by U.S. companies under the NYSE listing standards. We have summarized these significant differences below.
We are permitted to follow practices in Brazil in lieu of the provisions of the NYSE corporate governance standards, except that we are required to have a qualifying audit committee under Section 303A.06 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual or avail ourselves of an appropriate exemption. As a foreign private issuer, we have modified our fiscal council in order to avail ourselves of an exemption from the listing standards for audit committees. See “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Board Practices—Fiscal Council.” In addition, our chief executive officer is obligated, under Section 303A.12(b) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, to promptly notify the NYSE in writing after any of our executive officers becomes aware of any material non-compliance with any applicable provisions of the NYSE corporate governance standards. We are also required under Section 303A.12(c) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual to submit an annual written affirmation of compliance with applicable provisions of the rules and, under certain circumstances, an interim written affirmation of compliance.
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Majority of Independent Directors
Under Section 303A.01 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, each U.S. company listed on the NYSE must have a majority of directors that meet the independence requirements of the NYSE. Under the Novo Mercado rules, at least 20% of our directors must be independent for purposes of those rules, and a majority of our directors currently meet that standard.
Separate Meetings of Non-Management Directors
Under Section 303A.03 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, the non-management directors of each U.S. company listed on the NYSE must meet at regularly scheduled executive sessions without management, and independent directors must meet at executive sessions without management at least once a year. We do not have a similar requirement under Brazilian rules, but in any event, all members of our board are non-executive directors. Our independent directors do not meet separately from directors who are not independent.
Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee
Under Section 303A.04 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, each U.S. company listed on the NYSE must have a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of directors that meet the independence requirements of the NYSE. We are not required to have such a committee under Brazilian law, and accordingly, do not have one.
Under Section 303A.05 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, each U.S. company listed on the NYSE must have a compensation committee composed entirely of directors that meet the independence requirements of the NYSE (including additional requirements applicable to compensation committee members). Even though we are not required to have such a committee under Brazilian law, we established one on March 1, 2012. However, our Compensation Committee is not fully independent under the NYSE independence requirements because we are not required to have one under applicable rules, and we believe that the current composition of our Compensation Committee is appropriate for our needs. See “Item 6—Directors, Senior Management and Employees.”
The NYSE also requires (1) listed companies to grant the compensation committee, in its sole discretion, the authority to retain or obtain a compensation adviser, to be directly responsible for the compensation and oversight of any compensation adviser so retained with appropriate funding from the listed company and (3) the compensation committee to assess the independence of any compensation adviser, other than the listed company’s in-house legal counsel. As allowed under the NYSE’s listing standards, we continue our current compensation practices in accordance with the Brazilian corporate law and Brazilian practice.
Audit Committee
Under Section 303A.06 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual and the requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the SEC, each U.S. company listed on the NYSE is required to have an audit committee consisting of members that comply with the requirements of Rule 10A-3 and that meet the independent requirements of the NYSE. In addition, the audit committee must have a written charter compliant with the requirements of Section 303.A.07(b) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, and the listed company must fulfill all other requirements of the NYSE and Rule 10A-3. The SEC has recognized that, for foreign private issuers, local legislation may delegate some of the functions of the audit committee to other bodies. We have availed ourselves of an exemption from certain of the standards for audit committees. See “Item 16D—Exemptions from the Listing Standards for Audit Committees,” which explains how our Fiscal Council differs from an audit committee for a U.S. listed company and is incorporated herein by reference.
Internal Audit Function
Under Section 303A.07(c) of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, each listed company must have an internal audit function. We do not have a similar requirement under Brazilian rules and, therefore, do not have internal auditors.
Corporate Governance Guidelines
Under Section 303A.09 of the NYSE Listed Company Manual, each U.S. listed company must adopt and disclose their corporate governance guidelines. We do not have a similar requirement under Brazilian law. However, we have listed our common shares on the Novo Mercado of the São Paulo Stock Exchange, which requires adherence to the corporate governance standards described under “Item 9. The Offer and Listing-C. Markets-São Paulo Stock Exchange Corporate Governance Standards.”
Further information concerning our corporate governance practices and applicable Brazilian law is available on our website (www.brasil- agro.com). Information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this annual report.
ITEM 16H—MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
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Part III
ITEM 17—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
See “Item 18—Financial Statements.”
ITEM 18—FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
See our Consolidated Financial Statements beginning at page F-1.
ITEM 19—EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number
114
115
116
117
Certain promissory notes and other instruments and agreements with respect to our long-term debt were omitted from the exhibits filed with or incorporated by reference into this annual report, none of which authorizes securities in a total amount that exceeds 10% of our total assets. In addition, certain exhibits to agreements filed with this annual report have been omitted. We hereby agree to furnish to the Commission copies of any such omitted promissory notes, other instruments or agreements and exhibits as the Commission requests.
The agreements and other documents filed as exhibits to this report are not intended to provide factual information or other disclosure, other than with respect to the terms of the agreements or other documents themselves, and you should not rely on them for that purpose. In particular, any representations and warranties made by us in these agreements or other documents were made solely within the specific context of the relevant agreement or document and may not describe the actual state of affairs as of the date they were made or at any other time.
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SIGNATURES
The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on Form 20-F on its behalf.
Title: Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Operating Officer
Title: Chief Administrative Officer and
Investor Relations Officer
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Consolidated Financial Statements
BrasilAgro – Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas
As of June 30, 2019 and 2018
with Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Financial statements
Contents
F-1
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of
BrasilAgro Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of BrasilAgro Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas (“the Company”) as of June 30, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of income, other comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended June 30, 2019, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at June 30, 2019 and 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended June 30, 2019, in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards - IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board - IASB.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Ernst & Young Auditores Independentes S.S.
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2012.
São Paulo, Brazil
October 29, 2019
F-2
Consolidated statement of financial position
June 30, 2019 and 2018
(In thousands of reais)
See accompanying notes.
F-3
F-4
Consolidated statement of income
Years ended June 30, 2019, 2018 and 2017
(In thousands of reais, unless stated otherwise)
Profit before income and social contribution taxes
See accompanying notes
F-5
Consolidated statement of other comprehensive income
F-6
Consolidated statements of changes in equity
F-7
Consolidated statements of cash flows
F-8
Notes to the financial statements
June 30, 2019
(In thousands of reais, except as stated otherwise)
BrasilAgro Companhia Brasileira de Propriedades Agrícolas (“BrasilAgro” or “Company”) was incorporated on September 23, 2005 and is headquartered at Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 1309, in São Paulo with branches in the States of Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Maranhão and Piauí, and in Paraguay, in the state of Boquerón.
BrasilAgro corporate purpose includes:
The Company has twelve (12) farms in six (6) Brazilian states and one (1) farm in Paraguay, for a total area of 185,147 hectares of own lands and 51,812 hectares of leased lands. Cresud S.A.C.I.F.Y.A. is the ultimate parent company of BrasilAgro.
1.1 Re-distribution of the assets and liabilities of the joint venture Cresca S.A.
On October 5, 2016, the Company and Carlos Casado S.A., the sole partner in the joint venture Cresca S.A., each with a 50% interest, agreed to dissolve Cresca business and to make their best efforts to sell to third parties all the assets and liabilities held by Cresca within an agreed-upon period of time, or to re-distribute such assets and liabilities in the event the sale to third parties failed.
Cresca assets and liabilities were not sold within the period contractually defined, therefore, the partners agreed to re-distribute Cresca’s assets and liabilities, which was completed in the second quarter of 2017. Through June 30, 2017, certain assets, such as cattle and inventories, and contracts (including labor) of Cresca were transferred to Palmeiras, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company located in Paraguay. However, the remaining assets and liabilities, including agricultural properties and financial debts with shareholders, remained under the exclusive ownership and/or responsibility of Cresca.
On February 9, 2018, the process of re-distributing Cresca’s assets and liabilities was completed and some assets and liabilities that were still owned by Cresca were transferred to the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Agropecuária Moroti S.A.
The following is a description of the subsidiaries that received Cresca’s assets and liabilities:
- Palmeiras S.A. (“Palmeiras”) – On December 16, 2016, Palmeiras was incorporated in Asunción, the capital city of Paraguay, with partners Jaborandi Agrícola Ltda. holding 1% of the shares and BrasilAgro holding 99% of the shares. Palmeiras was incorporated with the objective to operate the activities of the Company’s investment Cresca.
- Agropecuária Moroti S.A. (“Moroti”) – Subsidiary that on February 9, 2018 received all other assets and liabilities of Cresca allocated to BrasilAgro, including land and debts.
F-9
As part of the transaction, the partners in the joint venture agreed to waive the payment of interest on late payment of the intercompany loans taken by Cresca in the total amount of R$32,962, of which BrasilAgro’s share was R$16,563 (Note 23).
The Company obtained control of the assets and liabilities received from Cresca, therefore, as required by IFRS 3 – Business Combinations, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed were remeasured at the fair value on the date control was obtained.
The estimated fair value of the assets and liabilities transferred to Moroti on February 9, 2018 is shown below:
The Company recorded a gain of R$5,098 for the difference between the carrying value of the interest in the jointly controlled investment in Cresca of R$115,478 and the fair value of the assets and liabilities transferred to Moroti of R$120,576 (Note 22). The fair value of assets and liabilities was determined based on preliminary estimates and concluded on June 30, 2018. No adjustment to the amounts recorded preliminary was recorded upon conclusion.
In addition, the Company reclassified the accumulated currency translation adjustment from the jointly controlled investment in Cresca from comprehensive income to the statement of income for an amount of R$30,616, under “Other Operating income (expenses), net” (Note 22).
1.2 Sale of Jatobá I Farm
On June 30, 2017, the Company completed the sale of a 625-hectare area (500 agricultural hectares) of Jatobá Farm. The area was sold for 300 soybean bags per usable hectare totaling 150.000 soybean bags, equivalent to R$10,145. The Company received a down payment of 15,000 soybean bags in the amount of R$878, a second installment of the same amount on July 30, 2017, and the remaining balance will be settled in four annual installments (Note 7.1.e – Jatobá I). See Note 19.b.
1.3 Sale of Jatobá II Farm
On June 13, 2018, the Company signed a purchase and sale agreement for a total area of 9,784 hectares (7,485 agricultural hectares) of the Jatobá Farm, a rural property located in the city of Jaborandi, state of Bahia, for an amount corresponding to 285 bags of soybean per usable hectare totaling 2.133.225 soybean bags equivalent to R$123,335 as of July 31, 2018.
On July 31, 2018, the buyer paid the first installment of R$21,000, equivalent to 300,000 bags of soybean, and met the conditions envisaged in the agreement, obtaining the of possession of the land and therefore, met the conditions for the recognition of revenue by the Company. The balance will be paid in seven annual installments (Note 7.1.e – Jatobá II). The accounting impact on statement of income is described in Note 19.b.
F-10
1.4. Sale of Alto Taquari Farm
On November 21, 2018, the Company signed a purchase and sale agreement for a total area of 103 hectares of arable land in the Alto Taquari Farm, for the value of 1,100 bags per useful hectare totaling 113.300 soybean bags, equivalent to R$6,871.
On November 19, 2018, the buyer made a down payment of 22,656 soybean bags in the amount of R$1,491 and the outstanding balance will be paid in four years, two installments per year (Note 7.1.c – Alto Taquari I).
1.5 Sale of Jatobá III Farm
On June 28, 2019, the Company signed a purchase and sale agreement for a total area of 3,125 hectares (2,473 agricultural hectares) of the Jatobá Farm, a rural property located in the City of Jaborandi, State of Bahia, for 285 bags of soybean per useful hectare totaling 704.805 soybean bags, equivalent to R$47,016 as of June 28, 2019.
On June 28, 2019, the buyer paid the first installment of R$5,000 and, on July 31, 2019, the buyer paid another installment in the amount R$5,000. The outstanding balance, corresponding to 563,844 bags of soybean, will be paid in six annual installments. (Note 7.1.e – Jatobá III).
1.6 Lease
Under the same commitment for the purchase and sale of the Jatobá Farm, as described in Note 1.3, the Company leased another area of the farm, with useful area of 7,468 hectares, for a period of 5 years and with annual payments of 6 bags per hectare or 17% of total production, whichever is greater.
On August 28, 2018, the Company signed a lease agreement to use a farmland of 23,500 hectares in the city of São Félix do Araguaia, state of Mato Grosso. The new farm will be called Partnership V (see Note 26). The lease will be for 10 years.
The significant accounting policies applied when preparing these financial statements are described below. These policies are being consistently applied in all years presented, unless otherwise stated.
2.1. Basis of preparation
On October 29, 2019, the Company’s Executive Board, Board of Directors and Fiscal Council approved the Company’s consolidated financial statements and authorized their issuance.
All monetary amounts in these financial statements are presented in thousands of Brazilian Reais, except where otherwise stated. Some of the totals presented in these financial statements may not cast due to rounding.
F-11
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared and are presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). All the references to IFRS in these financial statements correspond to the IFRS as issued by the IASB.
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis, except where otherwise stated, as described in the summary of significant accounting policies.
Management has not identified any significant uncertainty as to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern in the next 12 months.
The preparation of the financial statements requires the use of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires that Management use judgment in the process of application of the Company’s accounting policies. Those areas requiring a higher level of judgment and with more complexity, as well as the areas in which assumptions and estimates are significant for the financial statements, are disclosed in Note 3.
Non-financial data included in these financial statements, such as sales volume, planted and leased area, number of farms, were not examined by the independent auditors.
Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements comprise the financial statements of Brasilagro and its subsidiaries as of June 30, 2019, 2018, and 2017 as described below:
The subsidiaries are fully consolidated from the date of acquisition and consolidation ceases when the Company loses control. The financial statements of the subsidiaries are prepared for the same reporting period of Brasilagro, using consistent accounting policies. All intergroup balances, revenues and expenses are fully eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.
2.2. Foreign currency translation
The Company’s functional and presentation currency is the Brazilian real (R$). The items included in the financial statements of the subsidiaries located in Brazil are measured using Brazilian real (R$) as their functional currency. The U.S. Dollar is the functional currency of the joint venture Cresca S.A. (“Cresca”), and subsidiaries Palmeiras S.A. (“Palmeiras”) and Agropecuária Moroti S.A. (“Moroti”), all headquartered in Paraguay.
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of the transactions or valuations when items are remeasured. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the translation at period-end exchange rates of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognized in the statement of income.
F-12
In the preparation of the consolidated financial statements, the financial statements of Palmeiras, Moroti and Cresca, are translated into reais as follows: a) balance sheet at the exchange rate at year end and b) statement of income and cash flows, at the average exchange rate.
The effects from variations in the foreign exchange rate resulting from the translation of foreign operations are presented in “Currency translation adjustment of foreign operations” in the statement of other comprehensive income and in the statement of changes in equity.
2.3. Investment in joint venture
Our investment in the joint venture Cresca, is recorded under the equity method.
A joint venture is an agreement whereby the parties sharing joint control are entitled to the net assets of the joint ventures. Joint control is the contractually agreed sharing of control of an arrangement, which exists only when decisions about relevant activities require the unanimous consent of the parties sharing control.
2.4. Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities
Cash and cash equivalents include cash, bank deposits maturing within 90 days from the transaction date and short-term highly liquid repurchase agreements for which there are no fines or other restrictions for their immediate redemption.
Marketable securities include the financial investments provided as guarantee for loans and financing recorded in current and non-current assets based on the maturities of the referred loans and financing.
Cash equivalents and marketable securities are measured at fair value through profit and loss.
Bank deposit certificates and repo transactions may mature in a term exceeding 90 days and may have repurchase guarantee contractually provided by the issuer of the security, allowing the redemption of the securities at their original amount invested plus interest, with no penalty. These investments are classified as cash equivalents. Investments in deposit certificates that are not eligible for redemption without penalties are classified as marketable securities.
Certain debt agreements require the Company to keep marketable securities as a guarantee for the outstanding balances. Such investments are restricted while held in guarantee. The Company discloses the purchases and sales of such investments as investment activities in the statement of cash flows.
Fixed-income investments are intended to maintain the value of the resources held by the Company and not yet allocated to rural activities and are governed by a policy approved by the Board of Directors.
The statement of cash flows in relation to financing and investment activities, include only transactions that have impacted cash and cash equivalents.
F-13
2.5.1. Classification and measurement
Initial recognition and measurement
Financial assets are classified, at initial recognition, as subsequently measured at amortised cost and fair value through profit or loss.
The classification of financial assets at initial recognition depends on the financial asset’s contractual cash flow characteristics and the Company’s business model for managing them. Trade receivables that do not contain a significant financing component or for which the Company has applied the practical expedient are measured at the transaction price calculated in accordance with IFRS15.
In order for a financial asset to be classified and measured at amortised cost, it needs to give rise to cash flows that are ’solely payments of principal and interest (SPPI)’ on the principal amount outstanding.
The Company’s business model for managing financial assets refers to how it manages its financial assets in order to generate cash flows. The business model determines whether cash flows will result from collecting contractual cash flows, selling the financial assets, or both.
Purchases or sales of financial assets that require delivery of assets within a time frame established by regulation or convention in the market place (regular way trades) are recognized on the trade date, i.e., the date that the Company commits to purchase or sell the asset.
Subsequent measurement
For the purposes of subsequent measurement, the Company’s financial assets are classified as:
i. Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss
Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss are carried in the statement of financial position at fair value with net changes in fair value recognized in the statement of income.
The Company designates certain financial assets at the initial recognition by the fair value through profit or loss. This designation cannot be altered later. This category includes marketable securities, derivative financial instruments and receivables from the sale of farms, which consist of debt instruments recognized in the consolidated balance sheet in “Trade accounts receivable”.
Changes in fair value related to credits for the sale of farms designated as fair value through profit or loss are recognized in “Net on remeasurement of receivables from sale of farms” under “Financial income” (Note 23).
ii. Financial assets at amortized cost (debt instrument).
F-14
The Company measures financial assets at amortized cost when both of the following conditions are met:
Financial assets at amortised cost are subsequently measured using the effective interest rate method (EIR) and are subject to impairment. Gains and losses are recognized in statement of income when the asset is derecognized, modified or impaired.
The Company’s financial assets at amortised cost includes trade receivables, and loan to an associate and loan to a director included under other non-current financial assets.
Impairment of financial assets
The Company recognizes an allowance for expected credit losses (ECLs) for all debt instruments not held at fair value through profit or loss. ECLs are based on the difference between the contractual cash flows due in accordance with the contract and all the cash flows that the Company expects to receive, discounted at an approximation of the original effective interest rate. The expected cash flows will include cash flows from the sale of collateral held or other credit enhancements that are integral to the contractual terms.
The Company considers a financial asset to be in default when contractual payments are overdue more than 90 days. However, in certain cases, the Company may also consider that a financial asset is in default when internal or external information indicate that is unlikely that the Company will receive the full outstanding contractual amounts before taking into account any improvements of the credit held by the Company. A financial asset is derecognized when the Company considers there is no reasonable expectation of recovering the contractual cash flows.
The following criteria is used by the Company uses to determine if there is objective evidence of expected credit losses:
Financial liabilities are classified, at initial recognition, as financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss or financial liabilities at amortized cost, as appropriate.
F-15
The Company’s financial liabilities include trade and other payables, loans and borrowings including bank overdrafts, and derivative financial instruments.
The measurement of financial liabilities depends on their classification, as described below:
i. Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss
Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss include financial liabilities held for trading and financial liabilities designated upon initial recognition as at fair value through profit or loss.
Financial liabilities are classified as held for trade when they are incurred for repurchase in the short term. This category also includes derivate financial instruments contracted by the Company that are not designated as hedge instruments under the hedge relations established under IFRS 9.
Gains and losses with held-for-trading liabilities are recognized in the statement of income.
Financial liabilities designated upon initial recognition at fair value through profit or loss are designated at the initial date of recognition, and only if the criteria in IFRS 9 are satisfied.
ii. Financial liabilities at amortized cost
After initial recognition, interest-bearing loans and borrowings are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate (EIR) method. Gains and losses are recognized in statement of income when the liabilities are derecognized as well as through the EIR amortization process.
Amortised cost is calculated by taking into account any discount or premium on acquisition and fees or costs that are an integral part of the EIR. The EIR amortization is included as finance costs in the statement of income.
This category generally applies to interest-bearing loans and borrowings.
For more information, see Note 15.
2.6. Derivative financial instruments
The Company uses derivative financial instruments, such as future exchange contracts, interest rate swaps and forward commodity contracts, to protect against risks related to exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices, respectively. Derivative financial instruments are initially recognized at fair value on the date a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently re-measured at their fair value. The derivatives are recorded as financial assets when their fair value is positive and as financial liabilities when their fair value is negative.
Although the Company uses derivative financial instruments for economic hedge purposes, it has not applied hedge accounting.
Any gains or losses arising from changes in the fair value of derivatives during the year are recognized immediately in the statement of income (Note 23). The fair value of derivative financial instruments is disclosed in Note 6.
2.7. Trade receivables
Trade receivables are amounts due from customers for merchandise and farms sold in the ordinary course of business. If collection is expected in one year or less, trade receivables are classified as current assets, otherwise, they are presented as non-current assets.
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Trade receivables not related to the sale of farms are initially recognized at fair value, and subsequently, measured at amortized cost under the effective interest rate method, less for expected credit losses, as appropriate.
Trade receivables related to the sale of farms for which the amount of cash receivable is contractually determined in reais, equivalent to a quantity of soybean bags at the sale date, are designated at fair value through profit or loss upon initial recognition. The amount of the receivable is subsequently remeasured at each balance sheet date by applying to the contractual committed quantity of soybean bags by the quotation of soybean for future delivery at the maturity date of each installment (or based on estimates and quotations of brokers when there is no quotation of soybean for future delivery on a specific maturity date) and by translating the resulting U.S. dollars amount to reais using the U.S. dollar exchange rate for future delivery on the same maturity date (considering that future soybean quotations are denominated in U.S.dollar) and finally discounting the resulting amount to present value. The gain (loss) on remeasurement of the receivable is recognized in financial income and expenses under “Gain (loss) on remeasurement of receivables from sale of farms” (Note 23).
2.8. Inventories
Agricultural products are measured at fair value less selling expenses. They are reclassified from biological assets to inventories at the time they are harvested.
Seeds, manures, fertilizers, pesticides, fuel, lubricants, warehouse and sundry materials are measured at average acquisition cost.
Upon identification of the loss of quality of products which affect their sales (either due to storage, load, transportation and other events related to the operation), these products are counted and physically segregated.
An adjustment to net realizable value of agricultural products is recognized when the fair value recorded in inventories is higher than the net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less estimated costs to sell. Adjustments to net realizable value are recognized in the statement of income in “Adjustment to net realizable value of agricultural products after harvest”.
2.9. Biological assets
The Company’s biological assets consist mainly of the cultivation of soybean, corn, cotton, sugarcane and beef cattle, which are measured at fair value less costs to sell.
Agricultural activity
The fair value of biological assets is determined upon their initial recognition and at each subsequent balance sheet date. Gains and losses arising from the changes in fair value of biological assets is determined as the difference between fair value and the costs incurred in the plantation and treatment of crops of biological assets and agricultural products at the balance sheet date, and are recorded in the statement of income in “Changes in fair value of biological assets”. In certain circumstances, the estimated fair value less cost to sell approximate cost incurred at that moment, especially when only a minor biological transformation has taken place or when no material impact is expected from that biological transformation on the price. Biological assets continue to be recorded at their fair value.
The sugarcane crops productive cycle is five years on average, and for a new cycle to start depends on the completion of the previous cycle. In this regard, the current cycle is classified as biological asset in current assets, and the amount of the constitution of the bearer plant (bearer of the other cycles) are classified as permanent culture in property, plant and equipment. The calculation methodology used to estimate the fair value of the biological asset “sugarcane” was the discounted cash flows at a rate reflecting the risks and the terms of the operation. As such, the Company projected the future cash flows in accordance with the projected productivity cycle, taking into consideration the estimated useful life of each area, the prices of Total Sugar Recoverable (“ATR”), estimated productivity and the related estimated costs of production, including the cost of land, harvest, loading and transportation for each hectare planted.
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The soybean, corn and cotton are temporary cultures, in which the agricultural product is harvested after a period of time from 110 to 240 days after the planting date, depending on the cultivation, variety, geographic location and climate conditions. The calculation methodology used to estimate the fair value of the grains was the discounted cash flows at a rate reflecting the risk and terms of operations. As such, we projected the future cash flows taking into consideration the estimated productivity, costs to be incurred based on the Company’s budget or on new internal estimates and market prices. The commodities ‘prices were obtained from quotes on the following boards of trade: CBOT (“Chicago Board of Trade”), B3 (Bolsa, Brasil, Balcão), and NYBOT (“New York Board of Trade”). For the agricultural products not quoted, we used the prices obtained through direct market surveys or disclosed by specialized companies. We considered the related logistic expenses and tax discounts in order to arrive at the prices of each of these products in each production unit of the Company.
As mentioned above, the fair value of the biological assets disclosed in the balance sheet was determined using valuation techniques – the discounted cash flows method. The Company determined a discount rate of 10.49% (11,17% for the year ended June 30, 2018).
The data used in these methods is based on the information observed in the market, whenever possible, and if unavailable, a certain level of judgment is required to establish such fair value. Judgment is used to determine the data to be used, e.g. price, productivity and production cost. Changes in the assumptions on these inputs might affect the fair value of biological assets.
Cattle raising activity
In 2016, the Company started raising cattle. In Brazil, the main activity consists of producing and raising cattle, which characterizes the activity as production. In Paraguay, the main activity is raising and selling cattle, which characterizes the activity as consumable.
For segregation purposes, when applicable, the Company classifies its cattle herd into: consumable cattle (current assets), which can be sold as a biological asset for meat production; and production cattle (non-current assets), which is used in farm operations to generate other biological assets. At June 30, 2019, the Company only had production and consumable cattle, which includes calves, heifers, pregnant heifers, pregnant cows, calves, steers and bulls.
The fair value of beef cattle is determined based on market prices, given the existence of an active market. Gain or loss from changes in the fair value of beef cattle is recognized in statement of income for the period (Note 9). The Company considered the prices in the cattle market in Bahia state and in Boquerón (Paraguay), considered the principal market, and the metrics used in the market.
Accordingly, consumable cattle and production cattle are measured based on observable market prices, weight, and age of the animals.
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2.10. Investment properties
The Company’s business strategy aims mainly at the acquisition, development, exploration and sale of rural properties where agricultural activities can be developed. The Company acquires rural properties believed to have significant potential of appreciation in value by means of maintenance of assets and development of profitable agricultural activities. By acquiring rural properties, the Company seeks to implement higher value added crops and transform these rural properties with investments in infrastructure and technology, in addition to entering into lease contracts with third parties. Based on this strategy, whenever the Company considers that its rural properties are profitable, it sells these rural properties to realize capital gains.
The land of rural properties purchased by the Company is measured at acquisition cost, which does not exceed its net realizable value, and is presented in “Non-current assets”. The fair value of each property is disclosed in Note 10.
Buildings, improvements and opening of areas in investment properties are measured at historical cost, less accumulated depreciation, following the same criteria described for property, plant and equipment in Note 2.11.
2.11. Property, plant and equipment
Property, plant and equipment is measured at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Historical cost includes expenditures directly attributable to the acquisition of the items. Historical cost also includes borrowing costs related to the acquisition of qualifying assets.
Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount or recognized as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the Company and the cost of the item can be reliably measured. All other repair and maintenance costs are recognized in statement of income, as incurred.
Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, at the depreciation rates described below:
The residual amount and useful lives of property, plant and equipment are revised and adjusted, if appropriate, at the end of each year.
An asset carrying amount is written down immediately to its recoverable amount if the asset’s carrying amount exceeds its estimated recoverable amount.
Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing the sale price with the carrying amount and are recognized in “Other operating income (expenses), net” in the statement of income.
2.12. Intangible assets
Intangible assets includes software license and acquired contractual rights and are amortized over their estimated useful life of 5 years.
Costs associated with software maintenance are recognized as an expense as incurred.
The Company has no intangible assets with indefinite useful life.
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2.13. Impairment of non-financial assets
Pursuant to IAS 36 – Impairment of Assets, assets with finite useful lives are reviewed for impairment indicators on each balance sheet date and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the book value may not be recoverable. If any indication exists, the assets are tested for impairment. An impairment loss is recognized for the difference between the asset’s carrying amount and its recoverable amount.
On June 30, 2019 and 2018, no indication of impairment of assets was identified.
2.14. Trade accounts payables
Trade account payables are obligations to pay for goods or services acquired from suppliers in the ordinary course of business. Trade accounts payables are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less, otherwise they are classified as non-current liabilities.
2.15. Loans, financing and debentures
Loans, financing and debentures are recognized initially at fair value, net of transaction costs incurred, and subsequently carried at amortized cost. Any difference between the proceeds (net of transaction costs) and the settlement value is recognized in the statement of income over the agreement period using the effective interest rate method.
Fees paid in raising credit facilities are recognized as transaction costs to the extent that it is probable that some or all of the facility will be used. In this case, the fee is deferred until the facility is completely in use. To the extent there is no evidence that it is probable that some or all of the facility will be used, the fee is capitalized as a prepayment for liquidation services and amortized over the period of the facility to which it relates.
Loans, financing and debentures are classified as current liabilities unless the Company has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months or longer after the balance sheet date.
2.16. Provisions
Provisions are recognized when the Company has a present, legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events and it is probable that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation, and the amount can be reliably estimated.
Contingent liabilities arising from labor, tax, civil and administrative claims are recorded at their estimated amount when the likelihood of loss in considered probable (Note 3.a).
2.17. Current and deferred income tax and social contribution
Current income tax assets and liabilities are measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid to the taxation authorities. The tax rates and tax laws used to compute the amount are those that are enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date in the countries where the Group operates and generates taxable income. As allowed by the Brazilian tax legislation, certain subsidiaries opted for a tax regime under which taxable profit is computed as a percentage of revenues. Under this regime, taxable profit for income and social contribution tax is calculated by applying a rate of 8% and 12% on gross revenue, respectively, on which the statutory rates for income and social contribution tax are applied.
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Deferred income taxes are recognized for temporary differences between the tax base of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts for financial reporting purposes at the reporting date. A deferred income tax liability is recognized for all the temporary differences, whereas deferred income tax assets are only recognized to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the temporary differences can be utilized, including the recognition of a deferred tax asset related to unused tax loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are classified as non-current. Deferred income tax related to items directly recognized in equity are also recognized in equity.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the year when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date. Such rates are 25% for income tax and 9% for social contribution tax (Note 16).
2.18. Employee benefits
The Company operates a number of equity-settled, share-based compensation plans, under which the entity receives services from employees as consideration for equity instruments (options and shares) of the Company.
The cost of transactions settled with shares is recognized as expense for the year, jointly with a corresponding increase in equity during the year in which the conditions of performance and/or provision of services are met. The accumulated expenses recognized in connection with the equity instruments on each base date, until the date of acquisition, reflect the extent to which the acquisition period has expired and the best estimate of the Company as to the number of equity instruments to be acquired.
The expense or reversal of expenses for each year represents the changes in accumulated expenses recognized in the beginning and end of the year. Expenses related to services that did not complete their acquisition period are not recognized, except for transactions settled with shares in which the acquisition depends on a market condition or on the non-acquisition of rights, which are treated as acquired, irrespective of whether the market condition or the condition of non-acquisition of rights is fulfilled or not, provided that all other conditions of performance and/or provision of services are met.
When an equity instrument is modified, the minimum expense recognized is the expense that would have been incurred if the terms had not been modified. An additional expense is recognized in case the modification raises the total fair value of the consideration paid for such shares or that otherwise benefits, as measured on the date of modification.
If an equity instrument is canceled, such instrument is treated as if it was fully acquired on the date of cancellation, and any expenses not yet recognized, relating to the premium, are recognized immediately in the statement of income of the year.
This includes any premium whose non-acquisition conditions under the control of the Company or the employee are not met. However, if the canceled plan is replaced by a new plan and substitute grants are generated, on the date it is granted, the canceled grant and the new plan will be treated as a modification of the original grant, as described in the previous paragraph. All cancellations of transactions with share-based payments will be treated the same.
The Company provides employees a profit-sharing program, under which all of the employees have the right to receive annual bonuses based on the Company’s consolidated financial and operational results, and also on personal goals set for individual employees. Profit sharing is recognized at year end, when the amount can be reliably measured by the Company.
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2.19. Capital
Common shares are recorded in equity. Incremental costs directly attributable to issue new shares or options are shown in equity as a deduction of the issued amount, net of taxes.
2.20. Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue comprises the fair value of the consideration received or receivable for the sale of goods in the ordinary course of the Company’s activities. Revenue is presented net of taxes, returns and discounts.
Prior to the application of IFRS 15, the Company recognized revenue when the amount of revenue could be reliably measured, it was probable that future economic benefits would flow to the entity and when specific criteria was met.
Starting July 1, 2018, the Company applied the IFRS 15 model to measure and account for revenue from contracts with customers, which establishes the recognition of revenue in an amount that reflects the Company’s expected consideration in exchange for the transfer of good or services to a client. The model is based on five steps: i) identification of the contracts with customers; ii) identification of the performance obligations within the agreements; iii) determination of the transaction price; iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations within the agreements; and v) recognition of revenue when the performance obligation is fulfilled.
Revenue from sales of grains and sugarcane sales is recognized when performance obligations are met, which consists of transferring the significant risks and benefits of ownership of the goods to the purchaser, usually when the products are delivered to the purchaser at the determined location, according to the agreed sales terms.
In the case of grains, the Company normally enters into forward contracts under which the Company is entitled to determine the sale price for the total or partial volume of grains sold, through the delivery date, based on formulas contractually agreed upon. In some cases, the formulas used to determine the sales price are stated in U.S. Dollars. The amount in Brazilian reais is also contractually determined, which is based on the exchange rate applicable a couple of days prior to settling the transaction. The price can also be adjusted by other factors, such as humidity and other technical characteristics of grains.
Upon the delivery of grains, revenue is recognized based on the price determined for each client considering the foreign exchange rate on the delivery date when applicable. After the grains are delivered to the client, the quality and final weight are assessed, and the final price of the transaction is agreed upon, which result in adjusting the original contractual amounts, and any foreign exchange rate variation through the settlement date.
Revenue from sale of farms is not recognized until the performance obligations are met, which consists of: (i) control of the asset has been transferred (ii) the Company has determined that it is probable the sale price will be collected, (iii) and the amount of revenue can be reliably measured. Usually these are met when the buyer makes the first down payment, and transfer of possession of the asset is completed, according to the contractual terms. The result from sales of farms is presented in the statement of income as “Gain on sale of farms” net of the related cost.
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The beef cattle raising business consists of the production and sale of beef calves after weaning (rearing process). Some animals that prove to be infertile may be sold to meat packers for slaughtering. At the Paraguay operations, the business consists in fattening and selling these animals for slaughtering. The pricing for sale of cattle is based on the market price of the arroba of fed cattle in the respective market on the transaction date, the animal weight, plus the premium related to the category. The sale of cattle in Brazil and Paraguay operations, in turn, considers the price of the arroba of fed cattle or heifer/cow on the date of sale in the respective market, applied to carcass yields.
2.21. Financial income and expenses
Includes interest and foreign exchange variations arising from loans and financing contracts, marketable securities, trade accounts receivable, gain and losses on remeasurement of receivables from sale of farms and machinery, gains and losses for changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments, as well as discounts obtained from suppliers for the prepayment trade accounts payable.
2.22. Leases
The Company classifies lease of farms as operating leases to the extent that a significant portion of the risks and benefits of the ownership is held by the lessor and classifies lease of sugarcane crops as financial leases to the extent that a significant portion of the risks and benefits of ownership is transferred to the lessee. The lease expenses are initially recorded as part of biological assets and recorded as cost of sales of agricultural products upon the sale. The lease payments are measured based on a future quotation of soybean and as such, do not have a fixed value, but rather depend on the soybean quotation on a future date, being considered variable consideration.
Revenues from operating lease of land are recognized on a straight-line basis over the leasing period. When the lease price is defined in quantities of agricultural products or livestock, the lease amount is recognized considering the price of the agricultural product or livestock effective at the balance sheet date or at the date established in the contract, as the case may be. The amounts received in advance are recognized in current liabilities under the caption “Other liabilities”.
Leasing arrangements under which a significant portion of the risks and benefits of ownership of the land are retained by the lessor are classified as operating leases.
2.23. Distribution of dividends
Distribution of dividends to the Company’s stockholders are recognized as a liability in the Company’s financial statements at year-end based on the Company’s articles of incorporation. Any amount that exceeds the minimum legally required is only approved at the shareholders’ general meeting according to the proposal submitted by the Board of Directors. The tax benefit of interest on equity is recognized in the statement of income.
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2.24. Adjustment to present value – assets and liabilities
Assets and liabilities arising from long-term operations and short-term operations for which the financing component could have a material effect, are adjusted to present value.
Accordingly, certain elements of assets and liabilities are adjusted to present value, based on discount rates, which aim to reflect the best estimates of time value of money.
The discount rate used varies depending on the characteristics of the assets and liabilities including the risk and terms of the specific item, and it is based on the average rate of loans and financing obtained by the Company, net of inflationary effects.
2.25. Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share
Basic earnings (loss) per share is calculated by dividing the available profit by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year.
Diluted earnings per share is calculated by dividing the available profit by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year plus the weighted number of additional shares that would be issued if a conversion of all dilutive potential common shares into common shares existed, such as stock options and warrants.
2.26. Statement of cash flows
Interest paid is classified as cash flows from financing activities since it represents costs for obtaining financial resources, and are not considered cash flows from operating activities of the Company.
2.27. New standards, amendments and interpretations
New or revised pronouncements applied for the first time in the current year
In fiscal year starting July 1, 2018, the Company adopted IFRS 9, Financial Instruments and IFRS 15, Revenues from Contracts with Customers. The adoption of these new standards did not have any impact in the Company’s statement of income, expect for the amended and additional disclosures required by these standards.
a. IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments
The IASB issued IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments, which replaces IAS 39 – Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement and all previous versions of IFRS 9, that combines the three aspects of the project for accounting for financial instruments: classification and measurement, asset impairment, and hedge accounting. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning on January 1, 2018.
Starting July 1, 2018, the Company applied IFRS.
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i. Classification and measurement of financial assets
IFRS 9 contains a new approach for the classification and measurement of financial assets that reflect the business model under which assets and their cash flow characteristics are managed. It contains three main categories to classify financial instruments: measured at amortized cost, at fair value through other comprehensive income, and at fair value through profit or loss. The standard eliminates the categories existing in IAS 39 of financial instruments held to maturity, loans and receivables and financial instruments available for sale. This change of nomenclature does not alter how financial instruments are subsequently measured; it only impacts the disclosure of financial instruments by category in the financial statements, as shown below:
ii. Impairment of financial assets
The new standard replaced the “incurred losses” model of IAS 39 for a prospective model of “expected credit losses.”
This requires significant judgment on how changes in economic factors affect expected credit losses. Such provisions are measured in credit losses expected for 12 months and credit losses expected for the lifetime of the asset, that is, credit losses that result from all possible default events throughout the expected life of a financial instrument.
The Company selected to apply the simplified approach of IFRS 9 – Financial Instruments to measure the credit losses expected throughout the expected life of the financial instrument.
b. IFRS 15 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers
IFRS 15 establishes a five-step model to account for revenues from agreements with clients. According to IFRS 15, revenue is recognized for a value that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for the transfer or goods or services to a client. The new standard on revenue will replace all current requirements for recognition of revenue in accordance with IFRS.
Starting from July 1, 2018, the Company adopted the IFRS 15 – Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
The standard provides the principles to be applied by an entity to determine the measurement of revenue and how and when it must be recognized, based on five steps: i) identification of the agreements with clients; ii) identification of the performance obligations within the agreements; iii) determination of the transaction price; iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations within the agreements; and v) recognition of revenue when the performance obligation is fulfilled.
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In preparing to adopt IFRS 15, the Company considered the following:
(a) Sales of agricultural products
(b) Sales of farms
(c) Presentation and disclosure requirements
The presentation and disclosure requirements in IFRS 15 are more detailed than the past IFRS. The presentation requirements represent a significant change from past practice and increases the volume of disclosures required in the Company’s financial statements. As required by IFRS 15, the Company needs to disaggregate revenue recognized from contracts with customers into categories that depict how the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors. It also needs to disclose information about the relationship between the disclosure of disaggregated revenue and revenue information disclosed for each reportable segment.
c. IFRS 2 – Clarifications of classification and measurement of share-based payment transactions - Amendments
The IASB issued amendments to IFRS 2 Share-based Payment that address three main areas: the effects of vesting conditions on the measurement of a cash-settled share-based payment transaction; the classification of a share-based payment transaction with net settlement features for withholding tax obligations; and accounting where a modification to the terms and conditions of a share-based payment transaction changes its classification from cash settled to equity settled.
On adoption, entities are required to apply the amendments without restating prior periods, but retrospective application is permitted if elected for all three amendments and other criteria are met. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 01, 2018, with early application permitted. The Company analyzed the new standard and identified no relevant impacts on its financial statement.
Standards issued but not yet adopted
a. IFRS 16 – Leases
IFRS 16 replaces IAS 17 – Leases, IFRIC 4 – Determining Whether an Arrangement Contains a Lease, SIC-15 – Operating leases, and SIC-27 – Evaluating the Substance of Transactions in the Legal Form of a Lease.
IFRS 16 establishes the principles for recognition, measurement, presentation and demonstration of leases and requires that lessees book all leases using a single model in the balance sheet, similar to the accounting of financial leases under IAS 17.
IFRS 16 came into force for annual periods beginning on January 1, 2019. According to the preliminary assessment by Management, said standard will have significant impacts on the financial statements, since, according to the new principles introduced by IFRS 16, the Company must recognize lease liabilities and right-of-use assets on the date of initial application for leases previously classified as operating leases. As of June 30, 2019, the Company’s main contract subject to IFRS 16 are related to agricultural partnership operations and land lease, as described in Notes 13 and 26, in addition to other less relevant contracts that involve the lease of vehicles, properties and machinery.
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The standard will be effective for the Company for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2019. The Company will be adopting the standard retrospectively by recognizing the cumulative impact of initial adoption in opening retained earnings (i.e. the difference between the right-of-use asset and the lease liability). The Company will measure the right-of-use asset at an amount equal to the lease liability on July 1, 2019, calculated at present value by the incremental borrowing rate of the lessee on the transition date. Therefore, with the identification of contracts that could be subject to the standard, the Company started to examine the inherent characteristics of each transaction and the treatment to be given to the components of lease agreements, particularly those pegged to land leases, which include, in their majority, the payment of an amount in Brazilian reais corresponding to a fixed volume of soybean or sugarcane, for example, on a certain date. This assessment is currently ongoing considering the complexity of the factors involved, which include determining the discount rate to be applied, seeking to adjust to present value the projected cash flows based on the underlying commodities that back the value of the lease, the presentation net or gross of taxes, derivatives and other items, therefore, the Company did not conclude the measurement of IFRS 16 adoption. Consistent with the guidance, the Company will not apply this standard to short-term leases and leases for which the underlying asset is of low value.
b. IFRS 3 – Business combinations
The changes clarify that, when the entity obtains control of a business that is a joint operation, it must apply the requirements for a business combination in stages, including the revaluation of equity interest previously held in the assets and liabilities of the joint venture at fair value. By doing so, the acquirer reassesses the entire equity interest previously held in the joint venture.
The entity must apply these changes to business combinations for which the date of acquisition starts on the first day of the first annual period beginning as of January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. These changes apply to the Company’s future business combinations.
c. IFRS 11– Joint ventures
A party that participates, but which does not hold joint control of a joint venture, may obtain joint control of the joint venture whose activity is considered a business, as defined in IFRS 11.The changes clarify that the equity interest previously held in the joint venture will not be reassessed.
The entity must apply these changes to the operations whose control was obtained as from the start of the first annual period beginning as of January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Currently none of the changes are applicable to the Company, although they could apply to future transactions.
d. IAS 12– Income taxes
The amendments clarify that the income tax consequences of dividends are linked more directly to past transactions or events that generated distributable profits than to distributions to owners. Therefore, an entity recognizes the income tax consequences of dividends in profit or loss, other comprehensive income or equity according to where it originally recognized those past transactions or events.
The Company applies the amendments for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019, with early application permitted. When the Company first applies those amendments, it applies them to the income tax consequences of dividends recognized on or after the beginning of the earliest comparative period.
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Since the Company’s current practice is in line with these amendments, they had no impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.
e. Interpretation IFRIC 23 – Uncertainty over income tax treatments
The interpretation addresses the accounting for income taxes when tax treatments involve uncertainty that affects the application of IAS 12 and does not apply to taxes or levies outside the scope of IAS 12, nor does it specifically include requirements relating to interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax treatments.
The Interpretation specifically addresses the following:
An entity must determine whether to consider each uncertain tax treatment separately or together with one or more other uncertain tax treatments. The approach that better predicts the resolution of the uncertainty should be followed. The interpretation is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 01, 2019, but certain transition reliefs are available. The Company will apply interpretation from its effective date. The Company analyzed the new standard and identified no relevant impacts on their financial statements.
Accounting estimates and judgments are continuously assessed and based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the current circumstances.
Based on the assumptions, the Company concerning its future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by definition, seldom equal the related actual amounts. The estimates and assumptions that have a significant risk of causing a material misstatement to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities within the next year are as follows:
The Company is party to different legal and administrative proceedings, as described in Note 25. Provisions are set up for all the contingencies related to legal claims that are estimated to represent probable losses (present obligations resulting from past events in which an outflow of resources is probable, and amounts can be reliably estimated). The evaluation of the likelihood of loss is responsibility of the Company and includes the opinion of outside legal advisors.
The fair value of biological assets recorded in the balance sheet (Note 9) was determined using valuation techniques, including the discounted cash flows method. The inputs for these estimates are based on those observable in the market, whenever possible, and when such inputs are not available, a certain level of judgment is required to estimate the fair value. Judgment includes considerations on data e.g. price, productivity, crop cost and production cost.
Changes in the assumptions on these factors might affect the fair value recognized for biological assets.
An increase or decrease by 1% in the expected productivity of sugarcane and grains/cotton would result in an increase or decrease in biological asset by R$1,404 and an increase or decrease by 1% in the price of sugarcane and grains/cotton would result in an increase or decrease in biological asset by R$1,788.
With regard to cattle, the Company values its stock at fair value based on market price publicly available for the region.
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The fair value of investment properties was determined through an appraisal prepared by the Company.
The appraisal was performed by means of standards adopted in the market considering the characteristics, location, type of soil, climate of the region, calculation of improvements, presentation of the elements and calculation of the land value, which may differ based on these variables.
Methodology used
At June 30, 2019, investment properties were valued by applying the comparative analysis methodology adjusted by its related features:
There were no changes in the valuation methodology used to estimate the fair value of the investment properties.
The Company recognizes deferred income tax assets and liabilities, as described in Note 16, on tax loss carryforwards and temporary differences between the carrying amount and the tax basis of assets and liabilities using statutory rates. The Company regularly assesses if the deferred income tax assets recognized are recoverable, considering the taxable profit generated in the past as well as the expected future taxable profit, in accordance with a technical feasibility study performed by the Company.
4.1. Financial risk factors
The Company operates with various financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, trade accounts receivables, accounts receivable and others, trade accounts payable, accounts payable for the purchase of farms, loans and financing and derivative financial instruments.
Certain Company’s operations expose it to market risks, mainly in relation to exchange rates, interest rates and changes in the prices of agricultural commodities. As a result, the Company also enters into derivative financial instruments, used to hedge its exposures with respect to crops or with respect to assets and liabilities recognized in the balance sheet, depending on the nature of the specific operation.
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Excluding derivative financial instruments, fair value is basically determined using the discounted cash flow method.
The amounts recorded under current assets and liabilities are either highly liquid or mature within twelve months, as such their carrying value approximates their fair value.
4.2. Policies approved by the Board of Directors for the use of financial instruments, including derivatives
The Company’s policies in respect to transactions with financial instruments, which have been approved by the Board of Directors, are as follows: (i) Investment Policy which provides guidelines in respect to Company’s investment of cash, considering the counterparty risk, the nature of instruments and liquidity, among others; (ii) Derivative financial instrument policy which provides guidelines to manage the Company’s exposures to currency risk, interest rate and index risks, and agricultural commodities price risk, always linking the derivative financial instrument to the asset or liability that generates the exposure; and (iii) Risk Policy, which addresses items not covered by the Investment Policy or the Derivative financial instrument Policy including hedge against future cash flows with respect to future production of commodities.
a) Cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities, trade accounts receivable, receivable from sale of farms, loans with related parties and accounts payable. The amounts recorded approximate their estimated fair value.
b) Loans, financing and debentures. The book value of loans, financing and debentures, denominated in reais have its interest rates either fixed or based on the variation of TJLP (Long Term Interest Rate), SELIC (Special System of Clearance and Custody Rate) and exchange rate and approximates their fair value.
4.3. Analysis of exposure to financial asset and liability risks
This risk arises from the possibility that the Company may incur losses due to fluctuations in exchange rates, which reduces the nominal amount of assets or increase the amount of liabilities. This risk also arises with respect to commitments to sell products existing in inventories or agricultural products not yet harvested when sales are made at prices to be fixed at a future date, prices which vary depending on the exchange rate.
This risk arises from the possibility that the Company may incur losses due to fluctuations in the interest rates or indices which increase financial expenses related to certain contracts for the acquisition of farms, indexed by inflation, such as the IGP-M rate (“FGV”).
This risk arises from the possibility that the Company may incur losses due to fluctuations in the market prices of agricultural products.
4.4. Objectives and strategies of risk management and of use of derivative financial instruments
The Executive Board is responsible for managing financial risks, and evaluates the Company’s exposure to foreign currency risk, interest rate and index risk and agricultural commodities price risk with respect to assets, liabilities and transactions of the Company. Considering the exposure to such risks, Company management evaluates the convenience, cost and availability in the market of derivative financial instruments which allow the Company to mitigate such risks. After such assessment, the Executive Board decides whether to enter into the transaction within the parameters previously approved in the Policies referred to above and reports it in the Board of Directors’ meetings.
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4.5. Risks related to each operating strategy
The use of derivative financial instruments as an economic hedge reduce the risks of changes in cash flows arising from risks such as foreign currency, interest rate and price index and agricultural commodities prices.
However the change in the fair value of the derivative financial instrument may differ from the change in the cash flows or fair value of the assets, liabilities or forecasted transactions which are being hedged, as a result of different factors, such as, among others, differences between the contract dates, the maturity and settlement dates, or differences in “spreads” on the financial assets and liabilities being hedged and the corresponding spreads in the related legs of the swaps. In the case of the derivative financial instruments strategy to hedge recognized assets and liabilities, management believes that the derivative financial instruments present a high degree of protection with respect to the changes in the assets and liabilities being hedged.
In the case of the strategy to hedge forecasted sales of soybean or to hedge accounts payable/receivable, which are susceptible to changes commodity prices, differences may arise due to additional factors, such as differences between the estimated and actual soybean volume to be harvested, or differences between the quoted price of soybean in the international markets where the derivative financial instruments are quoted and the price of soybean in the markets in which soybean is physically delivered/received by the Company. Should the soybean volume effectively harvested be lower than the amount for which derivative financial instruments were contracted, the Company will be exposed to variations in the price of the commodities by the volume hedged in excess and vice-versa should the soybean volume effectively harvested be higher than the hedged volume.
In the case of exposure to exchange rates, there is a risk that the volume of U.S. dollars sold through forward contracts will be higher than the volume to which the Company is exposed. In such case, foreign exchange rates risk continues to exist in the same proportion as the mismatch, which could result from a reduction in the expected yield of a certain commodity or in a reduction in prices denominated in foreign currencies.
4.6. Restrictions related to the use of derivative financial instruments
Additionally, the Company is subjected to credit risk with respect to the counterparty of the derivative financial instrument. The Company has contracted derivative financial instruments either traded in the stock exchanges market or from prime first-tier financial institutions or “trading” companies. The Company understands that, at the balance sheet date, there are no indications of collectability risk with respect to the amounts recognized as assets with respect to derivative financial instruments.
The main restrictions by the Company’s policy are as follows:
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4.7. Impact of derivative financial instruments on the statement of income
The gains and losses for changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments are recognized in the statement of income separately between realized profit and loss (corresponding to derivative financial instruments that have already been settled) and unrealized profit and loss (corresponding to derivative financial instruments not yet settled).
4.8. Estimate of fair value of derivative financial instruments
The fair value of derivative financial instruments traded on stock exchanges (B3 and Chicago Board of Trade) is determined based on the quoted prices at the balance sheet date. To estimate the fair value of derivative financial instruments not traded on stock exchanges the Company uses quotes for similar instruments or information available in the market and uses valuation methodologies widely used and that are also used by the counterparties. The estimates do not necessarily guarantee that such operations may be settled at the estimated amounts. The use of different market information and/or valuation methodologies may have a relevant effect on the amount of the estimated fair value.
Specific methodologies used for derivative financial instruments entered into by the Company:
Management identified for each type of derivative financial instrument the conditions for variation in foreign exchange rates, interest rates or commodities prices which may generate loss on assets and/or liabilities which is being hedged or, in the case of derivative financial instruments related to transactions not recorded in the balance sheet, in the fair value of the contracted derivatives.
The sensitivity analysis shows the impact from the changes in the market variables on the aforementioned financial instruments of the Company, considering all other market indicators comprised. Upon their settlement, such amounts may differ from those stated below, due to the estimates used in their preparation.
This analysis contemplates five distinct scenarios that differ due to the intensity of variation in relation to the current market. At June 30, 2019, as reference for probable scenarios I, II, III and IV, a variation in relation to the current market of 0%, -25%, -50%, +25%, +50%, respectively, was considered.
The preparation of the probable scenario took into consideration the market prices of each one of the reference assets of derivative financial instruments held by the Company at year end. Since all these assets are traded in competitive and open markets, the current market price is a meaningful reference for the expected price of these assets. Accordingly, since the current market price was the reference for the calculation of both book value and the Probable Scenario, it resulted in no mathematical difference.
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The assumptions and scenarios are as follows:
This sensitivity analysis aims to measure the impact of variable market changes on the aforementioned financial instruments of the Company, considering all other market indicators remain unchanged. Estimated amounts below can significantly differ from amount eventually settled.
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In addition, the Company presents a summary of possible scenarios for the following 12 months of the Company’s financial instruments. Reliable sources of index disclosure were used for the rates used in the “probable scenario”.
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Credit risk refers to the risk of the noncompliance by a counterparty of its contractual obligations, leading the Company to incur financial losses. The risk to which the Company is exposed arises from the possibility of not recovering the amounts receivable from the sale of sugarcane, grains, and from the leasing of land.
To reduce credit risk in commercial transactions, the Company adopts the practice of defining credit limits in which it analyzes factors such as: the counterparty’s history, history of its business, commercial references and Credit Protection Institution (Serasa). The Company also constantly monitors the outstanding balances.
Currently, management does not expect losses due to the default of its counterparties and has no significant exposure to any individual counterparty.
Management policy is to maintain sufficient cash and marketable securities to comply with its financial commitments, due to the mismatch of terms or volume between the estimated amounts receivables and payables.
The table below shows the Company’s financial liabilities by maturity. The amounts disclosed in the table are the discounted contractual cash flows, in addition to the net derivative financial instruments, which are recorded at fair value/. With respect to payables for the purchase of farms all amounts due at June 30, 2019 and 2018 are payable upon the fulfillment of certain conditions precedent by the sellers and as a result its payment date cannot be determined and have been considered as payable on demand in the table below and no interest or other financial charges have been considered.
4.9. Capital management
The Company’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern in order to provide returns for stockholders and benefits for other stakeholders, and to maintain an optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of capital.
In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Company may adjust the amount of dividend paid to stockholders, return capital to stockholders or, also, issue new shares or sell assets to reduce, for example, debt.
Consistent with others in the industry, the Company monitors capital based on the leverage ratio. This ratio is calculated as net debt divided by total capital. Net debt is calculated as total loans and financing (including “current and noncurrent loans and financing” as shown in the Consolidated statement of financial position) less cash and cash equivalents. Total capital is calculated as equity, as shown in the Consolidated statement of financial position, plus net debt.
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According to the following table, the Company presents net debt of loans, acquisitions payable and trade accounts payables and the financial leverage index.
4.10. Fair value hierarchy and classification of financial instruments
The carrying amount (less impairment) of trade accounts receivable and payables approximate their fair values. The fair value of financial liabilities, for disclosure purposes, is estimated by discounting the future contractual cash flows at the current market interest rate that is available for similar financial instruments.
The Company adopted IFRS 7 and IFRS 13 for financial instruments that are measured in the balance sheet at fair value; this requires disclosure of fair value measurements by level of the following fair value measurement hierarchy:
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The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities, their classification and the fair value, as well as the level of hierarchy:
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The significant non-observable inputs used in the measurement of the fair value of the credits from the sale of the farm classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, along with an analysis of quantitative sensitivity on June 30, 2019, are as follows. There were no reclassifications:
5.1. Cash and cash equivalents
The Company has R$21,390 (R$22,700 as of June 30, 2018), of bank balances denominated in foreign currencies which do not bear any interest.
5.2. Marketable securities
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The Company uses derivative financial instruments such as forward currency contracts and forward commodities contracts to hedge against currency risk and commodities prices, respectively.
The margin deposits in operations with derivatives refer to the so-called margins by counterparties in operations with derivative instruments.
The total fair value of a derivative is classified as non-current assets or liabilities if the remaining maturity of the derivative is over 12 months, and as current assets or liabilities if the remaining maturity of the derivative is less than 12 months.
7.1 Trade accounts receivable
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The Company has two sugarcane supply agreements. The first agreement was with Brenco Companhia Brasileira de Energia Renovável (Brenco) and the second agreement is included in the partnership IV Agreement, as mentioned in the explanatory note on Commitments, whose credit risks are assessed in accordance with the internal policy as presented in Note 4.8b.
No expected credit allowance was recorded at June 30, 2019, and no defaulted payments exist as of the date of these Financial Statements.
The accounts receivable balance from Brenco amounted to R$ 18,290 as of June 30, 2019. See Note 29.
For the year ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, corn and soybean were sold mainly to the clients Bunge Alimentos, Louis Dreyfus, Amaggi and Cargill Agrícola and Bunge Alimentos and Cargill, respectively. See Note 18 for information on concentration of clients.
Total amounts sold, collected and receivables from sale of farms are as follows:
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7.2 Recoverable taxes
8.1 Adjustment to recoverable value of inventories of agricultural products
The amounts of expenditures with plantation and tilling of crops are substantially represented by expenditures with the formation of harvest such as: seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, depreciation and manpowers used in the crops.
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The area (hectares) to be harvested corresponding to the biological assets is as follows:
Changes in agricultural activity
Changes in cattle activity
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Quantitative data about cattle activity, expressed in heads of cattle
Fair value hierarchy at June 30, 2019
The significant non-observable inputs used in the measurement of the fair value of sugarcane, grains and cotton classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy, along with an analysis of quantitative sensitivity on June 30, 2019, are as follows. There were no reclassifications among the levels during the year.
Gain (loss) from changes in fair value
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Three farms owned by the Company are held as guarantee for loans and financing according to Note 15, representing 30% of total investment properties.
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The table below shows the fair value of investment properties are as follows:
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Cresca’s summarized financial information, based on the financial statements prepared in accordance with IFRS as of and for years ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, and the reconciliation with the book value of the investment in the consolidated financial statements are presented below at the fair value adjustment on the acquisition date:
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Changes in financial leases during the year ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 are as follows:
14.1 Trade accounts payable
At June 30, 2019, the Company’s balance of trade accounts payable is as follows:
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Keys:
TJLP – Long Term Interest Rate
FINAME – Financing of Machinery and Equipment (National Bank for Economic and Social Development - BNDES)
BNB – Banco do Nordeste
PYG – Paraguayan currency (Guarani)
Changes in loans and financing during the year ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 are as follows:
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Covenants
All loans and financing contracts above are in reais and have specific terms and conditions defined in the respective contracts with governmental economic and development agencies that directly or indirectly grant those loans. At June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018, the Company’s financing had no financial covenants, but rather only operating clauses, on which the Company is not in default.
On May 25, 2018, one hundred forty-two thousand, two hundred (142,200) non-convertible debentures were subscribed to and paid in, with security interest, in the total of R$142,200 (R$85,200 for the first series and R$57,000 for the second series).
The maturity date of the first-series debentures is August 1, 2022 (“maturity date of the first series”) and their unit face value will be paid in three (3) annual installments, the first on July 30, 2020 and the final on the maturity date of the first series. Compensatory interest corresponding to one hundred six point fifty percent (106.50%) of the DI rate will be accrued on the unit face value of first-series debentures, which will be paid on July 30 of each year or on the maturity date of the first series. The maturity date of the second-series debentures is July 31, 2023 (“maturity date of the second series”) and their unit face value will be paid in four (4) annual installments, the first on July 30, 2020 and the final on the maturity date of the second series. Compensatory interest corresponding to one hundred ten percent (110.00%) of the overnight DI rate will be accrued on the unit face value of second-series debentures, which will be paid on July 30 of each year or on the maturity date of the second series.
The Debentures were linked to a securitization transaction, serving as guarantee for the issue of Certificates of Agribusiness Receivables (“CRA”) pursuant to Law 11,076/2004 and CVM Instruction 414/2004, which were the object of a public distribution offer with restricted efforts, under CVM Instruction 476/2009 (“Restricted Offer”).
The Debentures are backed by security interest in the form of fiduciary sale of properties owned by the Company and registered under no. 6,254, 6,267 and 6,405, all of them at the Property Records Office of Correntina in the state of Bahia.
The costs directly related to the issuance of debentures totaled R$2,035 and will be amortized during the term of the agreement. In the year ended as of June 30, 2019, the amount of R$79 was amortized and the amount of R$1,546 remains to be amortized (R$1,466 as of June 30, 2018).
The debentures have covenants related to the maintenance of certain financial indicators, based on the ratio of net debt to fair value of investment properties. Failure by the Company to attain these indicators during the term of the debentures may entail advance maturity of the debt.
As of June 30, 2019, the Company is in compliance with the covenants described above.
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16.1. Deferred taxes
Deferred income and social contribution tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legal right to offset tax credits against tax liabilities, and provided that they refer to the same tax authority and the same legal entity.
The fiscal year for income tax and social contribution calculation purposes is different from that adopted by the Company for the preparation of its consolidated financial statements, which ends June 30 of each year.
Deferred income tax and social contribution tax assets and liabilities as of June 30, 2019 and 2018 are as follows:
The net change in deferred income tax is as follows:
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The expected realization of deferred tax assets are as follows:
16.2. Income and social contribution tax expenses
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At June 30, 2019 and 2018, the Company’s subscribed and paid-up capital amounted to R$584,224. The Company is authorized to increase its capital, regardless of amendments to the articles of incorporation, up to the limit of R$3,000,000, as determined by the Board of Directors.
The information on the long term share based incentive plan is described in Note 21.
Pursuant to article 193 of Law No. 6404/76 and article 36, item (a), 5% (five per cent) of the Company’s net income at the end of each year must, before any other allocation, be used to set up a legal reserve, which shall not exceed 20% (twenty percent) of capital.
The Company is allowed not to set up the legal reserve for the financial year in which the reserve balance, plus the amount of capital reserve addressed in item 1, of article 182, of Law No. 6404/76, exceeds 30% (thirty per cent) of capital. The legal reserve aims at assuring the integrity of the Company’s capital and may only be used to offset loss and increase capital.
According to article 36, item (c), of the Company’s articles of incorporation and article 196 of Law No. 6404/76, the Company may allocate the remaining portion of adjusted net income for the year ended, to reserve for investment and expansion, subject to approval on the General Shareholders’ Meeting.
The balance of the retained profits reserve, except for the reserves of unrealized profit and reserves for contingencies, may not exceed the amount of capital. Once this maximum limit is reached, the General Meeting may resolve on the investment of the exceeding portion in the payment, increase of capital or in dividend distribution.
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On November 6, 2018, the Company paid the dividends approved at the Annual Shareholders Meeting held on October 16, 2018, which included minimum mandatory dividends of R$30,005 and additional dividends proposed of R$10,995. In accordance with article 40 of the Bylaws, dividends not received or claimed will be time-barred within three (3) years from the date they were made available to the shareholder, and will revert to the Company.
Pursuant to article 36, of the Company’s Bylaws, profit for the year shall be allocated as follows after allocation to legal reserve: (i) 25% (twenty five percent) of adjusted net profit shall be allocated to the payment of mandatory dividends and (ii) the remaining portion of adjusted net income may be allocated to the reserve for investment and expansion.
The allocation of net income for the year as of June 30, 2019 is as follows:
At June 30, 2019, the effects from foreign exchange rate differences arising from the translation of Cresca, Palmeiras and Moroti financial statements amounted to negative R$1,007 (positive R$27,084 on June 30, 2018 and R$3,410 at June 30, 2017), and the accumulated effect totaled to R$38,876 as of June 30, 2019 (R$39,883 as of June 30, 2018, due to the write-off of R$30,616 upon the spin-off of Cresca in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018).
Under article 20, item XII of the Bylaws of the Company, the Board of Directors is responsible, among others established in the law or the Bylaws, for deliberating on the acquisition by the Company of shares issued by itself, to be held in treasury and/or later cancellation or sale.
Changes in treasury shares in the year are as follows:
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On March 15, 2006, the Board of Directors approved the issuance of 512,000 shares subscription warrants, 256,000 of which for first issue, and 256,000 for second issue, which were delivered to the founder shareholders, in proportion to their interest in the Company’s capital at the date of issue of the subscription warrant. Each issue of subscription warrant grants their holders the right to subscribe shares issued by the Company, in an amount equivalent to 20% of its capital after the increase arising from the full exercise of the subscription warrant of each issue.
Subscription warrants of the first issue grant their holders, as from the dates on which they become exercisable, the right to subscribe the shares issued by the Company through the payment of the price per share used in the initial public offering, subject to certain restatement and adjustment rules. The subscription warrants of the first issue were issued in three series, which differ solely as to the date on which the right to subscribe the shares granted by them start.
Exceptionally, the subscription warrants of the first issue may be exercised by their holders in the event of transfer of the Company’s control or acquisition of material interest, as defined in the terms of the corporate documents that decided on the issue of the subscription warrants.
The subscription warrants of the second issue grant the holders the right to subscribe shares issued by the Company for up to 15 years, from the date of publication of the announcement of closing of the initial public offering of shares and solely in the events of transfer or acquisition of material shareholding control in the Company, as defined in the terms of the corporate document that decided on the issue of the subscription warrants. In such events, public offerings for acquisition of all the outstanding shares of the Company shall be presented. For the subscription of shares object of the subscription warrants of second issue, their holders shall be required to pay the same price per share used in the abovementioned public offerings of acquisition of the Company’s shares.
The number of shares to be subscribed according to the subscription warrants shall be adjusted in case of split or reverse split of shares. The detailed information of the second issue market value of these subscription warrants is shown in the table below:
Segment information is presented consistently with the internal report provided by the chief operating decision maker that is the Executive Board, responsible for allocating resources, assessing the performance of the operating segments, and for making the Company’s strategic decisions.
Segment information is based on information used by BrasilAgro executive board to assess the performance of the operating segments and to make decisions on the investment of funds. The Company has six segments, namely: (i) real estate, (ii) grains, (iii) sugarcane, (iv) cattle raising, (v) cotton and (vi) other. The operating assets related to these segments are located only in Brazil. The main activity of the grains segment is the production and sale of soybean and corn.
The Sugarcane segment includes the sale of the raw product.
The Real Estate segment presents the P&L from operations carried out in the Company’s subsidiaries.
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The cattle raising segment consists of producing and selling beef calves after weaning, which characterizes the activity as breeding and fattening of cattle.
The cotton segment is engaged primarily in the production and sale of cotton lint and seed.
The selected P&L, liabilities and assets information by segment, which were measured in accordance with the same accounting practices used in the preparation of the financial statements, are as follows:
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The balance sheet accounts are mainly represented by “Trade accounts receivables”, “Biological assets”, “Inventories of agricultural products” and “Investment properties”.
In the year ended June 30, 2019, the Company has four clients individually representing 10% or more of the revenues from the sugarcane or grains segments, representing 85% of the total sales of the Company. Of these four clients, two account for 100% of the revenues from the sugarcane segment and two account for 71% of the revenues from the grains segment.
In the year ended June 30, 2018, the Company has five clients individually representing 10% or more of the revenues from the sugarcane or grains segments, totaling 83.2% of the total sales of the Company. Of these five clients, two account for 100% of the revenues from the sugarcane segment and three account for 55.3% of the revenues from the grains segment.
Revenues and noncurrent assets, excluding financial instruments, income tax and social contribution, deferred assets, post-employment benefits and rights arising from insurance contracts of the Consolidated, are distributed as follows:
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The expenses with Management compensation were recorded under “General and administrative expenses”, as follows:
The total compensation of the Company’s officers and members of the Board of Directors, for the year ended June 30, 2019 in the amount of R$13,500, was approved at the Annual General Meeting held on October 16, 2018.
On August 11, 2010, the Board of Directors approved the creation of the Stock Option Program (the “Plan”), authorizing the Company’s Board to grant stock options to the beneficiaries then elected. The Plan established the beneficiaries, the number of shares that each one may acquire upon exercise of the options, the exercise price per share to be paid in cash by the beneficiaries and the conditions of options.
The stock options to be granted according to the Plan may grant rights on the number of shares no greater, at any time, than the maximum and cumulative amount of 2% of Company shares, respecting the minimum price of the average quote of Company shares on the Brasil Bolsa Balcão-B3 (São Paulo Stock Exchange), weighted by the volume of trading on the last thirty floors prior to the option grant.
The table below presents the changes in the stock option plan per grant:
On September 27, 2017, the Company received notice of the exercise of all the stock options granted under the Second and Third Programs, totaling 109,054 stock options at the strike price of R$8.25 per share and 109,054 stock options at the strike price of R$8.52 per share, respectively, corresponding to the total of R$1,827.
Following the notice of exercise of stock options by the beneficiary, the Company transferred to the beneficiary the number of shares equivalent to the number of options informed, as applicable, and the shares to be transferred by the Company are currently held in treasury. The beneficiary, in turn, paid the exercise price in cash after the transfer of shares.
On October 2, 2017, the Shareholders Meeting approved the creation of the Long-term Share-based Incentive Plan (“ILPA Plan”). Under the terms of the ILPA Plan, participants will be entitled to receive a certain number of shares if they remain in the Company for a vesting period and achieve certain key performance indicators (“KPIs”). The ILPA Plan establishes that the Board of Directors will have broad powers to implement the ILPA Plan and take all measures necessary for it. The shares to be granted under the ILPA Plan may not exceed, at any time, the maximum and cumulative limit of 2% of the shares issued by the Company.
The first grant of incentives was approved by the Board of Directors on June 18, 2018, when the 1st ILPA Program was approved and the beneficiaries, number of shares to be granted, vesting period and KPIs to be achieved were defined.
The vesting period for the 1stILPA Program is the period between October 2, 2017 and October 2, 2019, and participants were selected from among those who were Company employees at the start of the vesting period, considering their category and compensation on that date.
Shares will be granted to participants only if they remain employed by the Company until the end of the vesting period and achieve certain KPIs. One of the KPIs is a certain percentage of appreciation of the price of the AGRO3 stock in the vesting period; if such percentage is not reached, participants will not have the right to receive any shares. If the KPI of stock appreciation is achieved, the number of shares to be granted will vary in three ranges, depending on the level of achievement of three other KPIs, and will be adjusted by the dividends per share distributed in the vesting period, and will increase by an amount established in case the share appreciation exceeds the floor price.
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The fair value of the benefit was estimated at R$8.61. To measure the fair value of the benefit, the Company considered the price of the AGRO3 stock on the date of the grant and projected the probable range of stock price at the end of the vesting period based on the past performance of the stock price in a period of 1 year and 4 months (compatible with the period between the grant in June 2018 and the end of the vesting period in October 2018). Considering the volatility of the AGRO3 stock, the Company determined the probability of the stock price at the end of the vesting period reaching the value necessary to achieve the appreciation KPI.
The maximum number of shares to be issued is 441,563 (outstanding on June 30, 2019). In the period, no shares were cancelled or issued to the beneficiaries, and the number of shares will be adjusted by the dividends per share distributed during the vesting period.
To determine the number of shares and the compensation expense, in each fiscal year the Management determines the estimated number of shares to be granted based on its best judgment of the portion of each of the three KPIs that does not depend on the stock price and the dividends to be paid in the vesting period. The expense amount is adjusted on account of such revision and the effects are recognized prospectively. The estimated expense is recognized upon the grant in June 2018, being appropriated linearly during the vesting period, between October 2, 2017 and October 2, 2019.
On June 30, 2019, an expense of R$1,648 was registered (R$844 on June 30, 2018), with overall amount of R$2,491.
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Net balances are as follows:
The Company is involved in civil, labor, environmental and tax lawsuits and administrative proceedings. The provision for probable losses arising from these lawsuits is determined and updated by management, supported by the opinion of the Company’s external legal advisors.
Probable likelihood of loss
Possible likelihood of loss
The Company is party to legal suits of civil, labor, environmental and tax natures, and administrative tax proceedings for which no provisions were set up, since they involve risk of loss classified as possible by the Company and its external legal advisors. The contingencies are as follows:
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Judicial deposits
For the year ended June 30, 2019, gross sugarcane sales of BrasilAgro to Brenco came to R$73.5 million, representing 20.5% of the Company’s total gross revenue.
The price of sugarcane ton delivered was calculated on Total Sugar Recoverable (ATR) assessed on the sales date.
There is a future balance of sugarcane to be delivered, the estimated quantity and amounts of which are difficult to be established considering the scenarios of fluctuating market value and crop productivity.
This partnership agreement complies with the definition of operating lease. The payment will always be in kind (soybean grains), to be deposited until June 30 of each crop year. The quantity of bags to be paid during the effectiveness of the agreement may vary due to two variables, namely: the productivity and the area effectively planted. According to such agreement, the minimum quantity to be paid in the long term would correspond to 479,181 bags, of which 59,898 bags of soybean in up to one year, 299,488 bags of soybean from one to five years and 119,795 bags of soybean with more than five years up to the end of the agreement.
On May 8, 2015, the Company executed three agreements with Brenco.
The first agreement was the rural sub partnership agreement to operate nine farms, in the state of Mato Grosso. The sub partnership starts on the date of execution and is to end by March 31, 2026. This partnership contract meets the definition of operating lease. The payment shall be always in kind (tons of sugarcane). According to this contract the quantity to be paid in the long term corresponds to 529,975 tons, of which 174,929 tons from one to five years and 355,046 tons for a period longer than five years up to the end of the agreement.
The second agreement deals with the regulation of rights and obligations between agricultural partners, in which BrasilAgro acquired the sugarcane crops planted by Brenco in the properties addressed by the sub partnership agreement described above. Such agreement contract meets the definition of financial lease. The payment shall be always in kind (tons of sugarcane), to be delivered at the plant owned by Brenco during the harvest period of the product. According to this contract the quantity to be paid in the long term corresponds to 53,845 tons, of which 18,604 tons in up to one year and 35,241 tons from one to five years.
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On February 7, 2017, the Company entered into an agricultural partnership agreement involving a property in São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, in the state of Maranhão, named Partnership IV.
The first agreement establishes an agricultural partnership to operate an area of around 15,000 hectares. The agricultural partnership is for 15 years from the date of the agreement and may be renewed for the same period. This partnership agreement meets the definition of operating lease. Payment will always be made in kind (tons of sugarcane).
The quantity to be paid corresponds to 10% of the entire production obtained in the area specified in the agreement and the initial base quantity to be produced in the area during the first year of the agreement was established at 850,000 tons. After this period, spanning between one and five years, the minimum quantity to be produced in the partnership areas is 4,500,000 tons of sugarcane, and from the sixth year to the termination of agreement, minimum production should be 1,250,000 tons of sugarcane per crop year.
The second agreement regulates the rights and obligations of the agricultural partners, by which BrasilAgro acquired sugarcane crops planted by the agricultural partner in the areas specified in the partnership agreement described above. This agreement meets the definition of financial lease. As consideration in this agreement, BrasilAgro undertakes to return, at the end of the agreement, the area specified in the partnership agreement together with sugarcane stubble crops with the capacity to produce 850,000 tons of sugarcane, in the crop year subsequent to the termination of the agricultural partnership agreement.
The third agreement deals with sugarcane supply, in which the parties aim to regulate the price and conditions of supply, as well as the obligations of each party in a cyclical system, which involves the need to supply sugarcane, in a certain delivery frequency and schedule that is consistent with buyer’s receipt and production capacity.
For the year ended June 30, 2019, net sugarcane sales to Partnership IV came to R$86.9 million, representing 24.3% of the Company’s total net revenue.
Quantity
(Tons)
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On August 28, 2018, the Company signed a lease agreement for the use of an area of 23,500 hectares. The leased area is located in the city of São Félix do Araguaia, state of Mato Grosso, and the new farm will be called Partnership V. This agreement is for 10 crop years; the payment per crop year of the lease will be at least 9.39 soybean bags per hectare or 17% of the total production, whichever is higher.
The Company maintain (i) civil liability insurance for all employees working at the farms, (ii) insurance for machinery, (iii) life insurance for all the employees, as well as (iv) insurance for Directors and Officers (D&O) and for other Board members. The coverage amount is considered sufficient by management to cover risks, if any, over its assets and/or liabilities. The Company assessed the risk of farm buildings and facilities owned by the Group, as well as its inventories and biological assets, concluding that there is no need for other types of insurance due to low likelihood of risks.
Below is the table of the liabilities covered by insurance and the related amounts at June 30, 2019:
Sale of farm
On July 11, 2019, the Company entered into an agreement for the sale of a total area of 1,134 hectares (893 harable hectares) of Jabotá Farm, a rural property located in the city of Jaborandi, state of Bahia, for R$23,183.
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On September 2, 2019, the buyer made a down payment in the amount of R$2,698, corresponding to 38,000 soybean bags. The outstanding balance will be paid in six annual installments.
Investment
Following the Board of Directors approval of the investment of US$1,0 million in the Ag-Fintech Agrofy (“Agrofy”), which represents a 1,8% interest, on September 23, 2019, the Company made a payment of 50% of the purchase price and the remaining balance will be paid in December 2019. Agrofy is an online marketplace with a complete range of e-commerce solutions, customized to meet the needs of the retailers and their partners and channels, seeking an alternative way of connecting farmers and suppliers.
Brenco reorganization bankruptcy
On May 29, 2019, Brenco filed for reorganization bankruptcy in Brazil. See Notes 26a and 7. As of the date hereof, we are unable to determine the impact, if any, that the reorganization bankruptcy of Brenco in Brazil may have on the payment of receivables due to us or on the general risk of default by Brenco on its obligations.
As of June 30, 2019, and as of the date hereof, Brenco has not defaulted on the payment of any receivable due to the Company. The accounts receivable balance from Brenco amounted to R$ 18,290 as of June 30, 2019.
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