After a gap of 27 years, beginning in 2014 the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will increase its lending to agribusinesses and plans to begin taking stakes in agricultural companies. In the past year the ADB has closed on four lending deals with private agricultural companies in China, Bangladesh, India, and Kazakhstan totaling $100 million and has more deals in the planning stage. One such deal the ADB is considering is a $150 million lending proposal for Asian investment in a major global sugar and coffee trading company. ADB is also interested in investment opportunities in the cold storage and food processing sectors. The ADB currently holds equity stakes in renewable power, banking, and telecommunications, and aims to expand into agribusiness and food next year.
To receive relevant news stories with summaries provided by GAI Research & Insight, subscribe to Global AgDevelopments, our free bi-weekly enhanced eNews service