Bunge Limited
Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), a global agribusiness and food company, today declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per common share. The dividend is payable on June 4, 2012 to shareholders of record on May 21, 2012.
The company also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.21875 per share on its 4.875% cumulative convertible perpetual preference shares, payable on June 1, 2012 to shareholders of record on May 15, 2012.
agribusiness Expo
Plethora of organisations involved in the agribusiness expo include machine fabricating companies, farmers associations, research institutes, financial Institutions, and commodity brokers.
In an effort to boost agricultural development in Nigeria, the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture & Cooperatives, Skills Enhancement Centre (SENCE), and Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access (EFInA) have announced they will jointly host a two-day agribusiness exhibition targeted at all segments of the agricultural value chain.
Agricultural Sector is Sleeping Giant for Russian and Ukraine Economies
AG Chat, an executive interview series, interviews business experts, investors and entrepreneurs who are leaders in sustainable agriculture. During a recent AG Chat, Marc Dresner interviewed George Rohr, co-founder and president of NCH Capital. For almost twenty years, George Rohr and the institutional funds he manages through NCH have been investing in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. George Rohr explained to Dresner, “There is a massive shortage of capital that prevails across asset classes, across the geography — across eleven time zones.” NCH has the goal of helping to bring “some of the most productive farmland in the world back into productive capacity.”
As Rohr pointed out, few Western investors have shown interest in this fertile area. NCH has managed to acquire over 700,000 hectares of high-quality farmland in Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. As Rohr explained, “You are going to see increasing diversification in [Russia and Ukraine] away from such heavy dependency on natural gas, oil and other hard commodities as a source of foreign revenue, toward agricultural commodities. The agricultural sector really is the sleeping giant for both countries.
ADM Targets Acquisition of Elstar Oils
In a move that would strengthen its European oilseed processing, food manufacturing and biodiesel capabilities, Decatur, Ill.-based agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland Co. signed a public tender offer to purchase a majority share in Elstar Oils S.A., a Warsaw-listed company that specializes in the production of quality refined vegetable oils and fats for the food industry and biodiesel market. “Poland is an important origination and consumer market for ADM,” said Brent Fenton, president of ADM Europe. “Elstar’s location in the heart of a rapeseed growing region, with easy access to the ports of Gdansk and Gdynia, complements our existing presence in the region and will enable ADM to further strengthen its position in Eastern Europe. The biodiesel plant will enable ADM to develop the biodiesel market in Poland and fits well within the company’s integrated business model.” Read More at BioDieselMagazine
New Agribusiness Association Forming
In important news in the agribusiness industry, a new agribusiness association is being created by the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. This new association will include representatives of each of the industry unions and associations that is involved in agribusiness for each of these three countries.
An agreement was reached to create this association during the foundation meeting of the Agribusiness Association of the Customs Unions in Moscow when they met on July 26th, 2011. In attendance at that meeting were: First Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister of Belarus Nadezhda Kotkovets, Russian Agriculture Minister Yelena Skrynnik, and Agriculture Vice Minister of Kazakhstan Saktash Khasenov.
The present goal is for the first founding convention of this new association to take place in October of 2011. The supervisory board will be led by Russian Agriculture Minister Yelena Shrynnik.
The goals of the new Agribusiness Association are many. They plan to harmonize agribusiness policies on the common market while ensuring food security and working to keep stability in the domestic market.
In addition, the Association hopes to develop the export potential for all three countries, create joint infrastructure of the agricultural food market, and create better conditions for mutual investments.
US Companies Investing in Latvia
Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and other delegates meet with NCH Capital founders George Rohr and Moris Tabacinic.
Pictured here are Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and NCH Capital founder George Rohr.
NCH Capital founder George Rohr meets with the Latvian delegation.
Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis discusses the importance of US investments in Latvian companies with NCH Capital founder George Rohr and others.
The Ukraine: Up and Coming Agribusiness Market
George Rohr
This week, the Australian Grains Industry Conference (AGIC) showcased a number of key up-and-coming countries in the agribusiness industry. VITERRA’s European managing director, Christian Joerg, highlighted the rapidly growing global importance of the Ukraine; as he said, “Ukraine was once the breadbasket of Europe, and it can become this again, and maybe fill this role for the world.” The Ukraine offers great prospects for the agribusiness industry, Mr. Joerg pointed out, because of its extraordinarily high soil fertility and favorable climate for grain production. A small number of international agribusiness investors in the know, such as funds managed by George Rohr‘s NCH Capital Inc., have been early movers in Ukraine.
While many poor farmers in the Ukraine prefer to plant barley because it is a cheaper crop to grow, more are turning their attention to wheat production. Mr. Joerg pointed out that the end of the barley subsidies in the EU has meant that the Ukraine is filling the gap.
Agribusiness Economic Outlook Conference
Cornell economist William Schulze delivered the keynote address at this year’s Agribusiness Economic Outlook Conference Dec. 14. Schulze predicted 4 percent growth in the economy and 8 percent unemployment in 2011.
Agricultural Inputs to Maximize Yield
Optimise your Agricultural Inputs to Maximise Yield, Efficiency, Sustainability and Investment
November 25, 26 Prague.
Learn More:
http://www.agricultureupdate.com/yield-and-input/
