Investors bold enough to diversify with an overseas agricultural investment can find plenty of untapped opportunities, strong upside potential, and an industry poised to profit from the rise in global population and corresponding demand for food.
Agriculture fundraising appears to be slowing. This year, three agriculture funds raised $500 million. By comparison, 13 agriculture funds raised $3.3 billion in 2016, which was down from the all-time high point in 2014 of $5.4 billion raised by 14 funds.
Hassad Australia, a $469 million farming company and wholly owned subsidiary of Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has sold the Clover Downs Station located in Queensland, Australia, to farmer Bill Zell for $27 million.
A Naivasha company has sued the cash-strapped flower firm Twiga Roses, formerly Karuturi Limited, seeking to eject it from its land over unpaid land rent and illegal acquisition.
At the initiative of the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party, all groups in the National Assembly except one have agreed to the withdrawal of legislative amendments intended at opening up the sale of agricultural land to foreigners.
San Miguel has announced it is set to acquire major Peruvian mandarin producer Agrícola Hoja Redonda for US$64 million, including its two farms covering 1,700 ha.
Land Portal Foundation and the FAO launch thematic portfolio on land conflicts
Indian company Estina was given a free 99-year lease to a 4,400 ha farm, as well as a guaranteed R114-million per year for the construction and running of the farm, but cash was siphoned out of the country as quickly as the South African public paid it over.
Company backed by Rabobank and Continental Grain takes minority stake in Brazilian dairy company pursuing farmland acquisitions in Piaui.
A corporation led by Africa’s richest man, has announced plans for a huge expansion of agricultural plantations.Secretive billionaire Aliko Dangote intends to invest nearly $5 billion in expanding oil palm, soy and sugarcane production in Nigeria.
New oil plantations grab land and destroy the environment in e.g. Sierra Leone. But there is a fair and environmentally friendly alternative way.
No new plantation has succeeded since Mozambique's independence, but this has not stopped Frelimo leaders from dreaming of giant mechanised farms funded by hundreds of millions of dollars from abroad.
