Farm Progress Company's parent company, Australia-based Rural Press Ltd and Fairfax Media announce a proposed merger to be decided by shareholders in April.

Farm Progress Company's parent company, Australia-based Rural Press Ltd and Fairfax Media announce a proposed merger to be decided by shareholders in April.

Following the approved merger, the group will have:

* Enterprise value in excess of $9 billion.

* A presence in New Zealand's daily newspaper market and 6 agricultural publications.

* Nine radio licenses in Queensland and South Australia.

"Farm Progress has benefited tremendously from the resources and publishing expertise Rural Press has provided over the years. I think it's particularly evident over the past few years as we've mae improvements to our publications, introduced new ones to the market, and redefined our business mode," says Jeff Lappin, Farm Progress Pres. "Looking ahead, however, we see opportunities for growth as part of an even larger media organization that will be created with the Fairfax/Rural Press merger."