Argus acquires agricultural specialist Agritel

Leading global commodity information service Argus has purchased Agritel, the expert provider of information, consulting and forecasting on agricultural and agro-industrial markets.

Agritel was founded nearly 20 years ago by Michel Portier and offers data and analysis tools to to help farmers and agro-industrial companies manage risk in agricultural commodity markets.

"We are delighted that Agritel decided to join us," Argus Media chairman and chief executive Adrian Binks said. "We have long been an admirer of the way it has developed essential services for the agricultural sector and as we grow our portfolio of services to complement our existing offerings in adjacent sectors of fertilizer and biofuels, we know that their team will be a huge asset in delivering value for clients."

"Argus' knowledge and experience in the field of energy and commodities price reporting offer synergies and opportunities for us to implement new solutions in agricultural markets," Agritel directeur général Michel Portier said. "In addition to our complementary areas of business and geographies, we share common values, which was key for us in making the decision to join Argus. A customer-oriented strategy and a commitment to editorial independence are vital, as is the importance of a rigorous and regulatorily compliant methodology."

The Agritel team and management will remain in place.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed.