Clare Pennington

Private equity goes hand in hand with state-owned enterprise in China as Cofco and Hopu Investments acquire Noble Group's remaining 49% of Noble Agri.

Chinese pork consumption continues to slow but a reduction in the herd could still mean a year of recovery for exporters in the Americas and Europe.

As private equity firms Actis and Old Mutual South Africa invest in South African convenience food, they tell Agri Investor about the rise in the sector and their expansion plans, despite a drought in the country.

Getting the right information on an agricultural asset like soil and water quality, and then figuring out how much it is worth, takes careful investigation, and mistakes can be made all too easily.

Private equity is lagging on animal welfare issues, but the Business Benchmark for Animal Welfare is keen to get private investors onboard.

Stafford's latest timber fund has so far been invested most heavily in secondaries, followed by co-investments, said Tom Goodrich, a timber group partner.

The Cargill subsidiary is spinning out agri, food, mining and metals assets into a 'natural resources-focused' private equity firm called Proterra Investment Partners.

The state-owned enterprise could be the latest Chinese company to enter into the global agriculture industry, after its failed takeover bid for the Swiss seed giant last year.

The report says that while Argentine wine's competitiveness has gone up 50% overnight, investing there is still not for the faint of heart.

Steak Tzar Tzar aims to break into the protein powder industry in the US as well as emerging markets that eat whole insects in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.