Mr. Alysson Paulinelli Joins Verde's Board of Directors

TORONTO, Jan. 14, 2014 /CNW/ - Verde Potash (TSX: "NPK") ("Verde" or the "Company") is pleased to welcome Mr. Alysson Paulinelli to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Paulinelli is the President of the Brazilian Association of Corn Producers.

Mr. Paulinelli has a distinguished career devoted to the agricultural sector and government, having held positions such as the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, President of the National Confederation of Agriculture, Congressman, Secretary of Agriculture for Minas Gerais State, and Professor and Dean of Lavras University. In 2006 he was awarded the World Food Prize.

President and CEO, Cristiano Veloso, commented: "It is a great honour for Verde to have Mr. Alysson Paulinelli join the Board of Directors. His reputation and leadership in Brazilian agriculture will be invaluable assets in establishing and growing the ThermoPotash market".

Having served twice as Secretary of Agriculture of Minas Gerais, between 1971-1974 and between 1991-1998, Mr. Paulinelli was instrumental in realizing the potential of the Cerrado to make Brazil one of the world's great breadbaskets. To such end, he developed policies, created institutions, constructed specialized infrastructure and increased support for agricultural research and training. During his tenure, Mr. Paulinelli enabled large-scale development in the Cerrado by implementing a new model of financing agricultural production that consisted of loans at very low interest rates, with extended grace periods and payments, which allowed farmers to reinvest a share of their profits. Still on the financing front, he fostered a new mix of loans from public, private and foreign sources, including an agreement between Brazil and Japan to secure financial resources needed to further advance the Cerrado region.

In 1974, Mr. Paulinelli was nominated Brazil's Minister of Agriculture. As Minister, he established the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA), the world's leading tropical agriculture research institution, which studies, improves and transfers technologies for advancing modern agriculture throughout the country. As a branch of EMBRAPA, Mr. Paulinelli also established the Cerrado Center (CPAC), which focuses on agricultural development in that region. Such initiatives have earned Mr. Paulinelli portrayals such as "the leader that farmers have consistently turned to solve their problems and assist them in advancing agricultural and rural development".¹

Mr. Paulinelli received his Agronomy Engineering degree in 1959 from the Federal University of Lavras, in Minas Gerais State, where he later served as Professor and Dean, having been integral in establishing the school as one of the top agricultural universities in Brazil. In 1986, he represented Minas Gerais State in Congress, taking part of the National Constitutional Assembly (1987-1988), which was responsible for drafting Brazil's current constitution. In 2006, Mr. Paulinelli received the World Food Prize for his contribution to changing the Cerrado region into productive land. Mr. Paulinelli also implemented the Brazilian Cerrado Cultivation and Development Program (Programa de Aproveitamento e Desenvolvimento do Cerrado Brasileiro), implemented the Brazilian Cerrado Development Program (Programa de Desenvolvimento do Cerrado Brasileiro) and created the Agribusiness Institute of Minas Gerais.

Retirement of Director, Dr. Richard Garnett

At age 78, Dr. Richard Garnett will be retiring due to personal reasons. He served as a director since 2011 and as a technical consultant since 2008. The Company wishes to thank Dr. Garnett for his immense contribution to the project during these past years.

President and CEO, Cristiano Veloso, said: "I wish to thank Dr. Garnett for his years of help in shaping our growth and development, and express my appreciation for having had the opportunity to work with such a respected mining professional".

About EMBRAPA

The Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária ("EMBRAPA") (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) is a state-owned company affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, which is devoted to pure and applied research on agriculture. EMBRAPA's mission is to provide feasible solutions for the sustainable development of Brazilian agribusiness through knowledge and technology generation and transfer.

About Verde Potash

Verde Potash, a Brazilian fertilizer development company, is focused on advancing the Cerrado Verde project located in the heart of Brazil's largest agriculture market. Cerrado Verde is the source of a potash-rich deposit from which the Company intends to produce both ThermoPotash and potassium chloride (KCl). ThermoPotash is a controlled-release, non-chloride, multi-nutrient fertilizer that is ideally suited for Brazilian soils. In addition, the Company is developing its Calcario limestone project, limestone being a key raw material in the Company's process to produce both ThermoPotash and KCl

About the Cerrado Verde Potash Project

Cerrado Verde is a unique project: 1) its high grade potash rock outcrops and is amenable to strip mining, allowing fast construction of a scalable operation; 2) it is located in the midst of the world's third largest and fastest growing fertilizer market; 3) it connects to Brazil's largest fertilizer distribution districts via existing and high quality infrastructure; 4) it has the potential to supply both ThermoPotash and KCl to Brazil's local agriculture market from its large potash-rich deposit.

Cautionary Language and Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information, which includes but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's strategy, funding of the Cerrado Verde project, the commercial production of ThermoPotash, and the generation of cash flow from the sale of ThermoPotash.  Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from the forward-looking information.  Material risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals, failure to receive funding, failure to obtain financing on acceptable terms, risks associated with the mining industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses, and health, safety and environmental risks), commodity price, demand for ThermoPotash in Brazil, exchange rate fluctuations and other risk factors set out in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk Factors". Currently, ThermoPotash is not commercially produced or sold in Brazil. As a consequence, there is no current market for this product. Should commercial demand for ThermoPotash fail to develop, the Company's business model may not be appropriate.  Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking information.  Material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, the demand for ThermoPotash and KCl in Brazil, the ability to secure necessary environmental and mining permits, the ability to secure financing, and other assumptions set out in the Company's current technical report.  The Company does not currently intend to update forward-looking information in this news release except where required by law.

Readers are cautioned not to rely solely on the summary of such information contained in this release and are directed to the complete corporate history available on Verde's website (www.verdepotash.com) and filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and any future amendments to such. Readers are also directed to the cautionary notices and disclaimers contained herein.

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1} Cremaq, Piauí. "The miracle of the cerrado". The Economist. The Economist, 26 Aug. 2010. Web. 26 Aug. 2010.

 

SOURCE: Verde Potash Plc

Cristiano Veloso, President & Chief Executive Officer
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; Email: [email protected]

www.verdepotash.com

Iwona Zakrzewski, Investor Relations
Tel: [phone]; ext. 224; Fax: [phone]; Email: [email protected]