El Nino Inspires Capital Inflows Into Agricultural Commodities
Institutional funds are flocking to agricultural commodities for the first time in years amid El Nino weather conditions that are creating a favorable supply/demand scenario for investors, reports indicate. Chinese funds in particular are reportedly among those who may lift their exposure to agricultural commodities in the coming months. &n
Read moreSharemarket Volatility Hindering Costa Group Float
Volatility and other mitigating factors in the sharemarket are hindering the float of fruit and vegetable grower, Costa Group, indicating that the company will find it unlikely that it will achieve the higher range of its proposed share price. Group chief executive, Harry Debney, along with company advisers, UBS and Goldman Sachs,
Read moreWestern Australia Government Considering Spurring Investment with Freehold Farmland Sale
In a move to increase agricultural investment in the state, Western Australia’s government is considering selling more freehold farmland. "One of the signals that industry are putting to us is that having the pathway to freehold is a big incentive for investor interest and banks, said Minister for Regional Development, Terry Red
Read moreInsect Protein Curries Favor With Consumers and Venture Capitalists
By Gerelyn Terzo Insect consumption is common among 80 percent of the world but bugs have largely been blocked in the American diet. The tide, however, seems to be turning, based on evidence of consumer demand and increased venture capital funding raised by the industry. The U.S. edible insect market is currently wort
Read moreAre Drought and Soaring Demand Pricing Almonds Out of Reach?
The almond’s popularity continues to soar. Americans are now eating approximately two pounds of almonds per person per year – double the amount of only seven years ago. The increase in peanut allergies, the popularity of trend diets such as the high-protein Paleo diet, and a certain level of peanut butter fatigue on the part of consumers h
Read moreOne Thousand and One Voices Announces Intent for Agribusiness Sector Investment
The sub-Saharan Africa focused private family capital fund, One Thousand and One Voices, announced a letter of intent regarding a minority investment in Beefmaster Holdings Limited, a South African, vertically integrated producer and distributor of beef related products. This is the second investment in the agribusiness processing
Read moreGlobal Food Prices Drop to Lowest in Five Years
Between August 2014 and May 2015, world food prices have fallen by 14% to a five-year low, according to the latest Food Price Watch report issued by the World Bank. Contributing to the abundant supplies of food in 2014 was the low price of oil resulting in low fertilizer and transportation costs, and the outlook for bumper wheat,
Read moreA Look at the Strategy Behind Investeco’s Sustainable Food Fund
In early 2011, Investeco Capital Corp., a Toronto-based private equity group dedicated to socially responsible investing, announced a new investment vehicle: the Sustainable Food Fund, which invests in small, growing companies that focus on food and agricultural sustainability. The $40 million fund completed its initial fund raising phase i
Read moreCheese Markets in Latin America, Middle East, and Africa Poised for Wave of M&As
Between 2015 and 2020 over half of all new cheese sales will originate in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. And as rising middle class incomes spark growth in cheese markets in these emerging regions, Euromonitor International expects a shakeup of mergers and acquisitions to occur. The U.S. is ranked as the world’s top
Read moreAustralia’s Erratic Climate is Driving its Vegetable Production Under Cover
Australia’s increasingly erratic climate, marked by long dry spells interrupted by deluges, is driving the country’s vegetable production industry worth $3.5 billion per year under cover. Although the bulk of the vegetables produced in the country are still done so in open fields, producers have taken note over the past five y
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