Agrium Inc. has added a news release to its Investor Relations website.

CALGARY, ALBERTA, Mar 20, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --ALL AMOUNTS ARE STATED IN CAD$

Agrium Inc. (TSX: AGU) (NYSE: AGU) (Agrium) announced today it has
entered into a definitive agreement with Glencore International plc
("Glencore") to acquire the majority of Viterra's Agri-products
business upon completion of Glencore's recently announced supported
acquisition of Viterra.

Under the agreement, Agrium would acquire approximately 90 percent of
Viterra's Canadian retail facilities, all of its Australian retail
facilities, as well as their minority position in a nitrogen facility
located in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The acquisition price from Glencore
is approximately $1.15-billion plus working capital, in a
back-to-back purchase and sale arrangement. Average working capital
needed for this business is estimated to be approximately
$0.5-billion. In 2011, Viterra's total Agri-products business
generated $2.4-billion in revenue and $244-million in EBITDA
according to Viterra's annual report.

"We believe our Crop Production Services Retail business can provide
significant value for Canadian farmers and that it provides an
opportunity for growth in a market where we currently have a limited
retail presence. The transaction is an excellent fit with Agrium's
stated strategy of growing across the value chain by expanding both
our Retail and Wholesale operations. The acquisition is expected to
be immediately accretive upon completion and will provide significant
growth for our retail operations, in particular, supporting our goal
of reaching $1-billion in EBITDA from our global Retail business by
2015," said Agrium President and CEO Mike Wilson.

Agrium currently operates over 1,200 retail facilities in the United
States, Australia, Argentina, Canada (with 65 Canadian based
facilities), Uruguay and Chile.

The conclusion of our acquisition of the majority of Viterra's
Agri-products business is subject to completion of Glencore's
acquisition of Viterra and to certain other terms and conditions in
the definitive agreement.

About Agrium

Agrium Inc. is a major Retail supplier of agricultural products and
services in North America, South America and Australia and a leading
global Wholesale producer and marketer of all three major
agricultural nutrients and the premier supplier of specialty
fertilizers in North America through our Advanced Technologies
business unit. Agrium's strategy is to grow across the value chain
through acquisition, incremental expansion of its existing operations
and through the development, commercialization and marketing of new
products and international opportunities. Our strategy places
particular emphasis on growth opportunities that both increase and
stabilize our earnings profile in the continuing transformation of
Agrium.

About Viterra's Agri-Products Business

Viterra operates a network of 258 agri-products retail locations
throughout Western Canada and 17 retail locations in Australia.
Retail locations offer fertilizer, crop protection products, seed and
equipment to growers. Viterra also has a minority interest in a
nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plant in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

About Glencore

Glencore is one of the world's leading integrated commodities
producer and marketer listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock
Exchanges, and is active in 40 countries with more than 50,000 people
employed directly and indirectly.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements and other information included in this press
release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning
of applicable Canadian securities legislation or constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S.
securities legislation (together, "forward-looking statements").

All statements in this press release, other than those relating to
historical information or current conditions, are forward-looking
statements, including, but not limited to, statements as to
management's expectations with respect to, among other things,
business and financial prospects, financial multiples and accretion
estimates, future trends, plans, strategies, objectives and
expectations, including with respect to future operations following
the proposed acquisition of Viterra's Agri-products business, the
completion of the transaction as contemplated and the ability to
successfully integrate the new assets into our existing Retail and
Wholesale business units in an effective manner. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of
which are beyond our control, as well as various assumptions and
business sensitivities, including those risk factors referred to in
the MD&A section of the Corporation's most recent Annual Report to
Shareholders as well as those risk factors described in the
Corporation's most recent Annual Information Form, which may cause
actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be
materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Events or circumstances that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the forward-looking statements, include, but
are not limited to, Glencore not being successful in completing its
bid for Viterra, there being inaccuracies or material omissions in
Viterra's publicly available information or the possible delay in the
completion of the steps required to be taken for the acquisition of
the Agri-products business from Glencore, including the possibility
that approvals or clearances required to be obtained from regulatory
and other agencies and bodies will not be obtained in a timely manner
or will be obtained on conditions that may require divestiture of
assets expected to be acquired.

Except as otherwise indicated, the information concerning Viterra
contained in this press release has been taken from, or is based
entirely upon, publicly available documents and records on file with
Canadian Securities Regulatory Authorities and other public sources
at the time of this press release. Although Agrium has no knowledge
that would indicate that any statements contained herein concerning
Viterra taken from or based on such documents and records are untrue
or incomplete, neither Agrium, nor any of its respective affiliates
or associates, nor any of their respective directors or officers,
assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such
information or for any failure of Viterra to disclose events or facts
which may have occurred or which may affect the significance or
accuracy of any such information but which are unknown to Agrium.

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

Contacts:
Agrium Inc.
Richard Downey
Vice President, Investor/Corporate Relations
(403) 225-7357

Agrium Inc.
Todd Coakwell
Manager, Investor Relations
(403) 225-7437

Agrium Inc.
Mark Thompson
Analyst, Investor Relations
(403) 225-7761

SOURCE: Agrium Inc.