OREANDA-NEWS. Uralkali (LSE: URKA, "the Company"), one of the world’s largest potash producers, publishes its unaudited IFRS key figures for the three months ended 31 March 2013.

JANUARY-MARCH 2013 TOP LINE AND OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS:

Revenue down 18% y-o-y to USD 738 million

Production up 10% y-o-y to 2.1 million tonnes of potassium chloride (KCl)

Sales volumes down 10% y-o-y to 1.9 million tonnes of KCl

Average export price down 17% y-o-y to USD 313 per tonne of KCl

CORPORATE HIGHLIGHTS IN Q1 2013:

Share buyback continued with securities in a total amount of approximately USD 657 million purchased as of 10 June 2013 since the start of the programme in November 2012

Expansion programme on track, with ongoing construction of Ust-Yayvinsky mine and debottlenecking progressing at the existing production facilities

Licences extended for all operating mines

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE REPORTING PERIOD:1

In April, debut Eurobond issued in the principal amount of USD 650 million due 2018 with a coupon of 3.723%

In April, first Integrated Report issued covering both financial and social activities

In June, five-year USD 1 billion pre-export finance facility secured from 14 banks at LIBOR plus 215 bps

In June, dividend payment approved by the annual general meeting of shareholders for 2012 in the amount of RUB 3.90 per share (approximately USD 0.61 per 1 global depositary receipt (“GDR”)) with total dividends for 2012 amounting to RUB 25.3 billion (approximately USD 789 million)

In June, Board of Directors approved the terms of a purchase of up to 6.4% of the Company’s shares from Forman Commercial Limited, beneficially owned by Zelimkhan Mutsoev, with their subsequent cancellation

Vladislav Baumgertner, Uralkali CEO, commented:

“In Q1 2013 the Company’s performance reflected the market conditions which only started to recover following a weak H2 2012. Consistent with our announcements in November 2012, we decreased the output in Q1 and utilised this time to implement maintenance and development works. The start of the year is traditionally slow with potash consumers only preparing for the upcoming planting campaign. We see that Q2 began with robust demand from our customers, as application season approached. With increased planting acreage expected this year supported by low grain stocks and positive agriculture economics, we hope to see worldwide potash consumption growing by around 7% in 2013 compared to 2012.”