CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. agribusiness and trading giant Cargill Inc reported a 25 percent jump in quarterly earnings on Tuesday thanks to its investment in the fertilizer industry through its holdings in Mosaic Co .
Excluding earnings from that investment, Cargill's results were moderately below a year ago.
Minneapolis-based Cargill, one of the world's largest private corporations, earned $1.19 billion in the fiscal second quarter, ended November 30, up from $954 million a year earlier.
Earnings increased in its operations that buy and process farm commodities and in its industrial segment. Earnings fell in agricultural services and its food ingredients and applications segment.
Cargill, which operates in 67 countries, is a leading U.S. grain exporter, a major producer of ethanol, a top energy trader, and majority owner of Mosaic Co, a top global producer of fertilizers, among many other businesses.
(Reporting by Christine Stebbins; editing by John Wallace)
