Asia
Asia-Pacific Agrochemical Issuers Have Buffers for Middle East War Risks, Fitch Says
Asia-Pacific agrochemical issuers are capable of cushioning against increased freight, fuel, and input costs due to the Middle East conflict, preventing near-term rating pressure, Fitch Ratings said in a recent release.Nufarm (ASX:NUF), UPL (NSE:UPL, BOM:512070), and Syngenta Group have narrow direct vulnerabilities from the region, differentiated sourcing, and ample inventory serving as buffers for the first-round impact on earnings, Fitch said.Fitch expects supply chain disruption to not be impactful enough on the issuers' credit profiles in the near term, especially with operating flexibility and geographic diversification.Issuers' credit strength will also gain support from their business mix, although this would be uneven across products, with seeds the most staunch due to their key role in crop planning and fertilizers being more exposed amid a growing share of farmers' costs.The impact of crop protection lies between the other two products since its demand is less inelastic than food demand, Fitch said.The rating agency still sees dampened near-term profitability due to a gradual and initially incomplete cost pass-through.
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