Allana Announces Intention to Make a Normal Course Issuer Bid for 2012

TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 04/16/12 -- ALLANA POTASH CORP. ("Allana", or the "Company") (TSX: AAA) is pleased to announce its intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid ("NCIB"), subject to TSX ("Exchange") approval, to buy back its common shares through the facilities of the Exchange.

The maximum number of common shares that may be purchased for cancellation pursuant to the NCIB is that number of common shares that represents 10% of the common shares in the public float. Based on the 193,148,621 common shares in the public float as at April 16, 2012, the maximum number of shares would be 19,314,862. Allana notes that the number of its shares in the public float is less than the 228,536,024 issued and outstanding Allana common shares as of April 16, 2012, because the public float number does not include common shares held by Allana insiders. Daily purchases will be limited to 410,463 common shares other than block purchase exceptions. The actual number of common shares that would be purchased, if any, and the timing of such purchases will be determined by Allana considering market conditions, stock prices, its cash position, and other factors.

The Board of Directors of Allana believes that the underlying value of the Company is not reflected in the current market price of its common shares, and may not be so reflected at certain times during the course of the NCIB, and has thus concluded that the repurchase of common shares pursuant to the proposed NCIB presently constitutes an appropriate use of financial resources and would be in the best interest of Allana shareholders.

Purchases under the NCIB are permitted to commence on April 18, 2012 and will terminate on April 17, 2013 or the date upon which the maximum number of common shares have been purchased by Allana pursuant to the NCIB. There cannot be any assurance as to how many common shares, if any, will ultimately be acquired by Allana under the NCIB. Allana intends that any shares acquired pursuant to the NCIB will be cancelled.

Any purchases made pursuant to the NCIB will be made in accordance with the rules of the TSX and will be made at the market price of the common shares at the time of the acquisition. Allana will make no purchases of common shares other than open market purchases that may be made during the period that the NCIB is outstanding.

About Allana Potash Corp.

Allana is a publicly traded corporation with a focus on the acquisition and development of potash assets internationally with its major focus on a previously explored potash property in Ethiopia. Allana has secured financial support from two significant strategic investors: IFC, a member of World Bank Group, and Liberty Metals and Mining, a member of Liberty Mutual Insurance. Allana has Measured and Indicated Sylvinite Resources of 97.8 Million Tonnes of 30.0% KCl; Inferred Sylvinite Resource of 108.3 Million tonnes grading 31.3% KCl; Measured and Indicated Kainitite Resources of 284.2 Million tonnes at 19.8% KCl, Inferred Kainitite Resource of 271.2 Million Tonnes of 20.3% KCl; Measured and Indicated Upper Carnallitite Resources of 78.5 Million Tonnes grading 18.4% KCl, Inferred Upper Carnallitite Resource of 85.6 Million Tonnes of 17.1% KCl; Measured and Indicated Lower Carnallitite Resources of 212.6 Million Tonnes of 12.0% KCl, Inferred Lower Carnallitite Resource of 130.7 Million Tonnes grading 11.7% KCl. The foregoing mineral resource estimates are as at June 13, 2011 and are set out in the Company's NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report entitled "Resource Report for the Danakhil Potash Deposit, Afar State/Ethiopia" dated June 24, 2011 filed on SEDAR. Allana has approximately 228.5 million shares outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "AAA".

Peter J. MacLean, Ph.D., P. Geo., Allana's Senior VP Exploration, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information presented in this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the effect and estimated timeline of the drilling and assay results on the Company, the anticipated impact of the NCIB, the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources; the timing and amount of estimated future exploration; the anticipated timing with respect to the preparation of the Feasibility Study; costs of exploration; capital expenditures; success of exploration activities; permitting time lines and permitting, ; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; unanticipated reclamation expenses; and title disputes or claims; Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned that quantity and grade of the results from Holes 35, 36 and 37 are conceptual in nature and that there is insufficient exploration to define a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the target being delineated as a mineral resource.

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