OMAHA, NEBRASKA, U.S. — Responding to the announcement by Miller Milling Co. of a deal to acquire four flour mills from ConAgra Mills and Cargill, the partners who will form Ardent Mills said they were “pleased” with the pending transaction and restated their expectation the formation of Ardent Mills would be completed before the end of June.

The official statement, offered by Becky Niiya, senior director of communication and external relations for ConAgra Foods, Inc., follows:

ConAgra Foods, Cargill and CHS are pleased to enter into a purchase agreement with Miller Milling Company — a U.S.-based subsidiary of Tokyo-based Nisshin Flour Milling Inc. and a well-respected milling operation. The agreement is consistent with the companies’ plan to divest four flour milling facilities in order to proceed with the formation of Ardent Mills. The sale of all four mills is expected to be completed prior to or simultaneous with the completion of the Ardent Mills transaction, which we expect to be in Q2 of calendar year 2014 as planned. Completion of the Ardent Mills transaction remains subject to the conclusion of regulatory review by the U.S. Department of Justice, financing, and other certain customary closing conditions.