CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2004--Agrium Inc. (NYSE:AGU) (TSX:AGU) announced today that Ms. Germaine Gibara and Mr. Russell J. Horner were appointed to the Board of Directors effective September 29, 2004.

Ms. Germaine Gibara is based in Montreal and is currently President of Avvio Management, a management-consulting firm she founded. She serves on the Boards of Sun Life Financial, Corel Corporation, Canada Pension Plan, and Cogeco Inc. and is the former President of Alcan Automotive Structures. She has held senior positions with a number of financial service and resource-based companies including, TAL Global Asset Management Inc. and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec. She received her Bachelor Degree in Political Science from the American University of Cairo in Egypt, her Masters of Economics and Political Science from Dalhousie University, her Certified Financial Analyst designation from the University of Virginia, and completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School.

Mr. Russell Horner is based in Vancouver and is the President and Chief Executive Officer of NorskeCanada, a Canadian based TSX listed company that produces paper and pulp products. Before assuming leadership of NorskeCanada, he served as Chief Operating Officer Australasia for Fletcher Challenge Paper and was President and Chief Operating Officer of Fletcher Challenge Canada. He is an Advisory Board Director for Factory Mutual Insurance Company and serves as an Executive Board Director for NorskeCanada. He is also Chair of the Forest Products Association of Canada and a member of the Board of World Wildlife Fund Canada. Mr. Horner holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia and Advanced Management Programs from both Auckland University and the Harvard Business School.

"On behalf of the board, I would like to say how pleased we are to have Ms. Gibara and Mr. Horner join our board. They bring with them considerable international, financial and operational business experience that will further strengthen and diversify our board," said Mike Wilson, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Agrium Inc. is a leading global producer and marketer of agricultural nutrients and industrial products and a major retail supplier of agricultural products and services in both North America and Argentina. Agrium produces and markets three primary groups of nutrients: nitrogen, phosphate, potash as well as micronutrients. Agrium's strategy is to grow through incremental expansion of its existing operations and acquisitions as well as the development, commercialization and marketing of new products and international opportunities.

CONTACT: Agrium Inc.
Richard Downey
Investor/Media Relations
(403) 225-7357
Fax: (403) 225-7609
SOURCE: AGRIUM INC.