State of Florida approves option agreement with Alico to acquire approximately 5,804 acres of Alico Ranch

Rhea-AI Summary

Alico announced that the State of Florida approved an option agreement for the purchase of approximately 5,804 acres of Alico Ranch for about $14.6 million under the Florida Forever program. This land is significant for the habitat of the endangered Florida panther. If exercised, the closing is anticipated in the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Over the past two years, Alico has sold about 16,000 acres to the state for conservation, enhancing protections for biodiversity and local ecosystems.

Positive

• Alico has secured an option agreement that could generate $14.6 million if exercised.
• The sale supports conservation efforts, contributing to the protection of endangered species.
• The agreement reflects Alico's ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.

Negative

• None.

FORT MYERS, Fla., Dec. 15, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alico, Inc. (“Alico” or the “Company”) announces today that the State of Florida approved entering into an option agreement submitted by Alico which grants the State an option to purchase approximately 5,804 acres of Alico Ranch for approximately $14.6 million under the Florida Forever program.

John Kiernan, Alico’s President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are pleased the State of Florida has approved entering into this latest option agreement which grants it an option to purchase approximately 5,804 acres on the west side of the Alico Ranch. The 5,804 acre parcel is considered a primary and secondary zone for the federally endangered Florida panther and can contribute to increased protection of Florida’s biodiversity at the species, natural community, and landscape levels. If the State were to elect to exercise this option, we would expect the closing to occur in the beginning of the third quarter of our 2021 fiscal year. Over the last two years, Alico has sold approximately 16,000 acres of pristine land to the State of Florida for permanent protection under the Florida Forever program. These transactions in aggregate are intended to preserve sensitive lands for Florida's future, enhance protections for the Florida Panther, and protect the health of the Caloosahatchee River and the Western Everglades Basin.”

Mr. Kiernan continued, “As it has for generations, Alico will continue to support conservation and land management programs on the remaining acres of the Alico Ranch, which are currently leased for recreational hunting and cattle grazing activities.”

About Alico

Alico, Inc. primarily operates two divisions: Alico Citrus, one of the nation’s largest citrus producers, and Alico Land Management and Other Operations, which include environmental services, land leasing and related support operations. Learn more about Alico (Nasdaq: “ALCO”) at www.alicoinc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are based on Alico’s current expectations about future events and can be identified by terms such as “plans,” “expect,” “may,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should be,” “will be,” “is likely to,” “believes,” and similar expressions referring to future periods.

Alico believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable but cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, Alico cautions you against relying on any of these forward-looking statements. Factors which may cause future outcomes to differ materially from those foreseen in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: changes in laws, regulation and rules; weather conditions that affect production, transportation, storage, demand, import and export of fresh product and their by-products; increased pressure from diseases including citrus greening and citrus canker, as well as insects and other pests; disruption of water supplies or changes in water allocations; market pricing of citrus; pricing and supply of raw materials and products; market responses to industry volume pressures; pricing and supply of energy; changes in interest rates; availability of financing for land development activities and other growth and corporate opportunities; onetime events; acquisitions and divestitures; seasonality; labor disruptions; inability to pay debt obligations; inability to engage in certain transactions due to restrictive covenants in debt instruments; government restrictions on land use; changes in agricultural land values; impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and coronavirus pandemic on our agriculture operations, including without limitation demand for product, supply chain, health and availability of our labor force, the labor force of contractors we engage, and the labor force of our competitors; other risks related to the duration and severity of the COVID-19 outbreak and coronavirus pandemic and its impact on Alico’s business; the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and coronavirus pandemic on the U.S. and global economies and financial markets; access to governmental loans and incentives; any reduction in the public float resulting from repurchases of common stock by Alico; changes in equity awards to employees; whether the Company's dividend policy, including its recent increased dividend amounts, is continued; expressed desire of certain of our shareholders to liquidate their shareholdings by virtue of past market sales of common stock, by sales of common stock or by way of future transactions; political changes and economic crises; competitive actions by other companies; increased competition from international companies; changes in environmental regulations and their impact on farming practices; the land ownership policies of governments; changes in government farm programs and policies and international reaction to such programs; changes in pricing calculations with our customers; fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar, interest rates, inflation and deflation rates; length of terms of contracts with customers; and changes in and effects of crop insurance programs, global trade agreements, trade restrictions and tariffs; the exercise of an option by the State of Florida to purchase approximately 5,804 acres of land from Alico, and soil conditions, harvest yields, prices for commodities, and crop production expenses. Other risks and uncertainties include those that are described in Alico’s SEC filings, which are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Alico undertakes no obligation to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this press release, except as required by law.

Investor Contact:

Investor Relations
(646) 277-1254
InvestorRelations@alicoinc.com

Richard Rallo
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(239) 226-2000
rrallo@alicoinc.com

FAQ

What is Alico's recent land sale agreement with the State of Florida?

Alico entered an option agreement with the State of Florida for approximately 5,804 acres of land for about $14.6 million, aimed at conservation.

How much land has Alico sold to Florida for conservation in the last two years?

Alico has sold approximately 16,000 acres to the State of Florida for conservation purposes over the last two years.

When is the expected closing date if Florida exercises its option to purchase the land?

If the option is exercised, the closing is expected to occur in the beginning of the third quarter of Alico's fiscal year 2021.

What is the environmental significance of the land being sold by Alico?

The land is located in a primary and secondary zone for the endangered Florida panther, contributing to biodiversity protection.