With the above in mind, the 2nd Global Large Scale Forum in Siem Reap zooms in on the potential offered in Africa, as well as opportunities and challenges in other regions. Invited speakers will address country-focused topics including:

• Cambodia
• Indonesia
• South America
• The Philippines
• New Zealand
• China…

Click here to register now, or email Ms. Grace Oh at grace@cmtsp.com.sg.

Announcing the results of a long awaited review of the overseas investment rules and legislation, finance minister Bill English said the Government had decided against changes to the Overseas Investment Act but had introduced “extra flexibility” to consider a wider range of issues including large-scale ownership of farmland.

One measure is “a new ministerial directive letter to the Overseas Investment Office” which would provide “extra clarity and certainty for potential investors about the Government’s general approach to foreign investment in sensitive assets”.

“Overall, the measures I’m announcing today strike an appropriate balance. They increase ministerial flexibility to consider a wide range of issues when assessing overseas investments in sensitive land, while at the same time they provide extra clarity and certainty for potential investors and the Overseas Investment Office.”

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10676419

For an in-depth understanding on the extent of impact from these new regulations in New Zealand for large scale farm investments, make a point to attend the 2^nd Global Large Scale Farm Forum in Siem Reap on 30 November to 1 December 2010. Specially invited speaker, Mr. Ross Hyland, Managing Director of Seales Ltd, will provide his expert perspective on the opportunities and challenges framing the issue in:

“Dairy and Agribusiness Investment Outlook in New Zealand”

Download the program brochure for full topic outlines, or contact Ms. Grace Oh at grace@cmtsp.com.sg for registration queries.

In light of the above, the 2nd Global Large Scale Farm Forum has invited Karuturi Global Ltd to disclose key insights on:

“Large Scale Agriculture Investment in Africa”

• Business model evaluation
• Farm productivity management for maximum profit
• Downstream value addition & marketing of produce
• Expansion plans
• Challenges & opportunities

For more information on registration, click here or contact grace@cmtsp.com.sg.

The agriculture minister met businessmen from the Gulf Arab country and discussed agricultural business opportunities in Indonesia.

Indonesia has over 7.7 million hectares of unused land that is in need of development, Suswono said.

“There is still… untapped potential for agribusiness investment in Indonesia, particularly in the field of food crops, industrial processing as well as horticulture and land stock industry,” he said.

“We still have some difficulties internally in arranging land for large-scale farming, which are requested by foreign investors. This is due to environmental reasons to protect our rainforests,” the minister said, adding that the government has since issued regulations for investment in large farming.

Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/590357-indonesia-sees-rice-crop-up-seeks-gulf-farm-invt, 13 June 2010

Investors have long set their sights on Indonesia, whose large quantities of unused land offer a resource-rich base for new farm investments. Now, the government is keen to invite investors from the Gulf and abroad to take on the opportunity in developing the nation’s large farm potential.

In the interest of those thinking of investing in Indonesia, CMT has put together the 2^ndGlobal Large Scale Farm Forumto discuss the facts and details that will entailin such ventures. The forum will also have Prof. Dr. Zaenal Bachruddin, Director General of Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Product, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Indonesia present a paper on “Agricultural Investment Opportunity in Indonesia”.

At the 2^nd Global Large Scale Farm Forum in Siem Reap, you will also get the chance to amass expert insights on the potentials of different large farm agricultural investment hot spots and related legal/financing options.

Click here to view the speakers and their topic outlines.

They said agricultural investments in the region, currently at US$80 billion, will need to rise by 50 per cent to US$120 billion yearly until 2050 – when world population is expected to swell to 9.1 billion from the today’s 6.5 billion. The onus for funding the investments would be on private sources and governments.

‘These statistics belie a crisis that will only get worse in the years to come unless immediate action is taken,’ Mr Kuroda said. ‘Add to this rapid population growth, climate change and water shortages, and the need for action is blindingly apparent.’ He said ADB has committed US$2 billion a year for its food security plan for the region, focusing on boosting productivity, agricultural research, and the food supply chain.

Source: Straits Times: Asia Needs Farm Investment

More on the above will be unravelled at 2^nd Global Large Scale Farm Forum on 30^th Nov & 1^st Dec 2010 in Siem Reap as ADB presents a paper on:

ASIA’S FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGE : OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NOVEL PARTNERSHIP IN AGRICULTURAL / LAND INVESTMENTS

• Asia’s food security challenges
• Land / agricultural investment for food security
• Need for the novel public / private partnership
• Steps towards building the new food security partnership in Asia – ADB’s new initiative and strategy

To be presented by: Katsuji Matsunami, Advisor, RSOD cum Practice Leader (Agriculture, Food Security & Rural Development) ADB

Click here for the latest agenda.

Cambodia has the lowest cost agricultural land in the region with figures that are substantially cheaper than its neighbours Thailand, Vietnam or Malaysia.  This has interested many new companies with projects to grow crops like sugarcane, cassava, teak and other timber, palm plantations.

Agricultural land in Cambodia is generally provided to qualified projects by the Cambodian government on a lease basis.  Leases can be 70 years or in some cases up to 99 years. In Cambodia, large plots of agricultural land in locations with reasonable access to infrastructure are available but many areas still lack the road structure and access to utilities that are found in more developed countries.

Source: http://www.allsolutionscambodia.com/invest-in-agri.htm

Cambodia is one of the countries that will be featured at the 2^nd Global Large Scale Farm Forum in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 30 Nov – 1 Dec 2010.

Regardless of the region and stage of your global agri investments, answers to questions such as ` What guidelines are available? Which region offers the greatest return? How to obtain financing for your project? What crops to grow? play a big part in ensuring successful farming ventures.

That is why  2^nd Global Large Scale Farm Forum to be held in Siem Reap, Cambodia on 30 Nov – 1 Dec 2010 is the place to be for timely updates, network of authoritative speakers and first hand information on challenges & opportunities pertaining to agriculture investment.

Some of the confirmed speakers to date include Koh Kong Plantation Company Limited (Cambodia), Khon Kaen Sugar Industry PCL, Bioenergy Development Co., Ltd, SGS, KPMG Cambodia Ltd, Croplife Asia, Philippines Agricultural Development & Commercial Corporaton, Sciaroni & Associates, Allied Venture, Mriya Group of Companies, ADB, GMG Global Ltd.

Click here for updated agenda or email: grace@cmtsp.com.sg

Here’s a short video clip of the Cairo event in April 2010.

Large Scale Farming in Africa
20-21 Apr 2010 – Cairo

CMT is proud to announce that our 2^nd Large Scale Farm Forum will be back from 30 November to 1 December this year, meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Those keen on participating in the 2^nd Large Scale Farm Forum as speakers, sponsors, media partners, exhibitors, and participants are welcome to submit their enquiries online by clicking here or emailing Ms. Grace Oh at grace@cmtsp.com.sg.

“In Tanzania, farmers plant early-maturing maize to escape the damage caused by an increasingly unreliable rainy season. Over 300,000 farmers in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are using micro-dosing techniques to increase yields and reduce fertilizer use. For the last 4 years, Malawi has not only met its own food needs, but has also become able to export to its neighbors. Rwanda’s agricultural production has grown by 13 per cent and 17 per cent in the last two years.” ~ The Daily Monitor, 23 March 2010

“Kenyashifts from rain-fed agriculture to stem food crisis” ~Daily Nation, 19 March 2010

“In the Southeast African nation of Malawi, large new government subsidies for chemical fertilizer have led to bumper crops of corn.…Already following Malawi’s lead are Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, all of which have announced plans for expanded fertilizer subsidies.” ~The New York Times, 21 Feb 201

What do these trends mean for Agri-investment in Africa?
How will they change the nature of investment and project management?

Answers to the above questions will be provided at the upcoming Large Scale Farming in Africa conference, meeting in Cairo on 20-21 April 2010, where SGS, Dina Farms & Syngenta Agro are sharing perspectives on water and soil management as well as increasing farm productivity through technology. Not to be missed sessions include:

• SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT FOR LARGE FARMLANDS – MAKING GAINS THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
  Addressed by: Mr. Stuart Shepherd, Soil/Leaf Analytical Service Director
  SGS South Africa (PTY) Ltd
• WATER MANAGEMENT FOR AGRI-INVESTMENT IN EGYPT
  Addressed by: Mr. Tamer Hassan, Operations Director
  Dina Farms
• INCREASING FARM PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
  Addressed by: Dr. Shachi Sharma, Key Account Development Manager
  Syngenta Agro AG

The Large Scale Farming in Africa conference program offers perspectives from regulators and investors on the policy environment, investment climate & project case studies, as well as the latest on increasing agri-productivity. Conference participants can look forward to clarifying their top concerns and questions on investing in Africa.

“The policy of the government of Ethiopia regarding agricultural land development has always been based on the small-scale farmer,” said Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in an interview. “But the strategy also included the possibility of the private sector playing a supplementary but vital role.”

The offer of cheap land has attracted wide interest, from governments like Saudi Arabia that import most of their food, to multi-nationals like Karuturi Global.

At CMT’s Large Scale Farming in Africa conference, Mr. Esayas Kebede, the Director of Agricultural Investment Support at Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development will be speaking on the topic, “PROSPECTS OF COMMERCIAL FARMS IN AFRICA” where he will discuss the investment experience in Ethiopia.

In addition to insights from Ethiopia, attendees at the Large Scale Farming in Africa conference, which meets in Cairo on 20-21 April 2010, will also get updates on investment opportunities from the Agriculture Ministries of Ghana, Kenya and Egypt.

In fact, H.E. Amin Abaza, Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture & Land Reclamation will be delivering the keynote address at the Cairo conference on the topic, “OPPORTUNITIES FOR AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT IN EGYPT”

The conference is already attracting participation from leading Farm & plantation investors/owners, Asset management companies, Investment banks & agricultural Funds Companies including AgriSA, Agricultural Management Company, Swiss Re, Karuturi Global Ltd, SGS Group Management Ltd, Standard Chartered Bank, EFG-Hermes, Bio-Energy Investments and many more.

Representatives from the Agriculture industry, including Fertilizer companies, Seed suppliers, Machinery companies, and Agrochem & biotech companies are also expected to participate in the conference, along with Tax & Legal experts, Insurance Companies, Risk Management Experts, Irrigation Experts and Regulators.

Those keen on participating in the “Large Scale Farming in Africa” conference as speakers, sponsors, media partners, exhibitors, and participants are welcome to submit their enquiries online by clicking on the link below or emailing Ms. Grace Oh at grace@cmtsp.com.sg.

Le Caire, EGYPTE-XX février 2010/Communiqué de presse /– «  L’Agriculture à grande échelle en Afrique » (Large Scale Farming in Africa) est une conférence internationale, qui se tiendra les 20-21 avril 2010 au Caire.

Organisée sous le patronage de Son Excellence Amin Abaza, ministre égyptien de l’Agriculture et de la Mise en valeur des terres, la Conférence abordera des questions fondamentales qui influent sur les investissements dans l’agriculture à grande échelle et les zones agricoles sur tout le continent africain.

La forte progression des prix des produits agricoles de base, l’augmentation de la demande pour la bioénergie, plus la croissance des populations mondiales et des économies, ont dopé / accru la confiance entre les banques d’investissement et les fonds spéculatifs (hedge funds) pour se procurer de vastes domaines de zones agricoles et influer sur la croissance du marché des produits de base au comptant. Le continent africain, avec ses immenses parcelles de terres offre maintenant un potentiel énorme d’investissements agricoles.

La conférence « l’Agriculture à grande échelle en Afrique » (Large Scale Farming in Africa) fournira à ses participants une plate-forme pour explorer les possibilités d’investissements à venir ainsi que l’occasion de discuter de la gestion des risques et des solutions de financement. Le comité de la conférence, qui comprend des régulateurs clés tels que Son Excellence Amin Abaza,  ministre égyptien de l’Agriculture et de la Mise en valeur des terres et des acteurs clés de l’industrie tels AgriSA, SGS, Swiss Re, Agricultural Management Co., bio-Energy Investments, Karuturi Global, discuteront de:

• Perspectives d’investissements dans l’agriculture mondiale
• Politiques d’acquisition et d’utilisation des terres
• Etudes de cas sur les opportunités et investissements commerciaux agricoles en Afrique
• Commerce de souscriptions, gestion de l’investissement et du risque
• Développement en aval des produits de l’agriculture
• Augmentation de la productivité des exploitations et rôle de la biotechnologie
• Développement de l’infrastructure en vue de soutenir les échanges logistiques
• Accessibilité des matières premières et des ressources en eau

La Conférence est déjà assurée de la participation ’investisseurs/propriétaires d’exploitations et de plantations de première importance, de sociétés de gestion d’actifs, de banques d’investissement et de sociétés de fonds agricoles. Cette conférence verra également la participation des représentants de l’industrie de l’agriculture, comprenant des fabricants d’engrais, des fournisseurs de grains, des entreprises d’équipement mécanique  et des sociétés d’agrochimie et de biotechnologie. En outre, des experts juridiques et fiscaux, des sociétés d’assurances, des experts en gestion des risques, des experts en irrigation et des régulateurs participeront également à l’échange des idées et la recherche de compétences.

Les personnes désireuses de participer à la conférence « l’Agriculture à grande échelle en Afrique » (Large Scale Farming in Africa) comme intervenants, sponsors, partenaires médias, exposants et participants sont invitées à soumettre leurs demandes de renseignements en ligne à www.cmtevents.com/?ev=100421.