Sumitomo Chemical structures new FIDC worth R$500 million in partnership with Opea Gestora to finance its customers

Sumitomo Chemical – responsible for developing, manufacturing and selling solutions for crop and pasture protection – has just finished raising R$500 million for customer financing. To this end, the Company raised funds from investors through FIDC Opea Agro Sumitomo Chemical, owned by Opea Gestora. The FIDC has Opea as manager, Vórtx as administrator and was distributed by Banco BNP Paribas. It has senior quotas (rated AAA (bra) by Fitch Ratings) and subordinated (rated A(bra)- by Fitch Ratings).

The resources are intended to finance the purchase of agricultural inputs by distributors, cooperatives and rural producers, from all Brazilian states, who are partners with Sumitomo Chemical. The transaction aims to support the increased credit and financing needs of Sumitomo Chemical's customers.

“The agribusiness chain has been impacted by the increase in production costs combined with credit restrictions due to global macroeconomic uncertainties. We are very happy to be able to help with the provision of more financing alternatives to support our customers in the face of the current challenging scenario, which combined with Sumitomo Chemical's exclusive technological portfolio, will deliver a complete and differentiated proposal to our customers.”, explains Iara Souza, Financial Director of the Japanese multinational.

“Increasingly, agricultural companies will need capital market instruments, such as FIDCs or CRAs, to finance themselves. With Sumitomo Chemical's FIDC, we provide an important credit alternative for the company's producers and suppliers, a long-time partner”, says Renato Barros, Head of Agro at Opea.

The fund created especially for Sumitomo Chemical also marks the beginning of operations for Opea Gestora, an Opea company. “The fund brings together a complete solution in delivering efficiency for Sumitomo Chemical; effective and transparent controls and processes for investors; and credit to rural producers and other players in the agro segment. This product was only possible because we combined our experience in securitization with the offering of systems and services that support the entire fund chain – from the origination and formalization of credit to the effective assignment, including collection management and monitoring of guarantees”, he explains. Emerson Lopes, Head of Opea Gestora. "And we couldn't have started in a better way. We are especially happy that our manager's first fund focuses on boosting agribusiness, one of the most relevant productive sectors in Brazil”, he adds.