Agribusiness and trading company Cargill Inc posted a 59 percent drop in quarterly profit on Thursday, dragged down by plunging earnings at fertilizer maker Mosaic Co , in which Cargill is the majority shareholder.

Cargill, one of the world's largest private corporations, said it earned $489 million in the second quarter ended November 30, compared with $1.19 billion a year earlier

Cargill, which operates in dozens of countries, is a leading U.S. grain exporter, a major producer of ethanol, and a top energy trader, among other businesses.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman, editing by Dave Zimmerman)