Louis Dreyfus sells big stake to Abu Dhabi fund

Louis Dreyfus sells big stake to Abu Dhabi fund

It has been trying to emerge from a period of weak margins for buying and selling staple crops and, in common with its peers, has shifted towards more towards food processing to try to boost revenue.The transaction price was not disclosed but the companies said a minimum of $800 million will be invested into LDC.The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, also includes a long-term supply agreement to sell agricultural commodities to the United Arab Emirates, the companies said.Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, who assumed control of the group in 2009 after the death of her husband Robert, had been seeking an investor after building up substantial debt to buy out minority family shareholders.After she told Reuters in January she could sell a sizeable non-controlling stake, reports in September showed that LDC was in