Dairy

Stafford Capital Partners will invest in dairy, beef and row crops, and is splitting its commitments between primaries, secondaries and co-investments.

Farmland incomes in the US are set to fall to their lowest level in nearly a decade, according to the US Department of Agriculture, reflecting bumper harvests and higher dairy and hog production.

The new fund, solely focused on the New Zealand dairy market, is targeting NZ$350m, with a final close to take place in the first quarter of 2016.

Agribusiness attracted approximately 11 percent of the total investment, the majority in dairy and milk processing.

A recent survey in Italy on food labelling has highlighted that origin, especially Italian origin, is crucial to the country’s consumers. They are prepared to pay a premium for this information, too. Ilario Giangrossi and Chiara Bicci of Norton Rose Fulbright’s Milan office discuss the opportunities that arise from this end-customer focus.

Dairy prices are down and staying down, according to Rabobank, hitting profitability for farmers and investors. However, production for key regions like Australia and New Zealand is growing.

Racova Group, one of Romania's largest agribusinesses, operates over 46,000 hectares of farmland in the country.

Arlon Group acquired The Coastal Companies, a distributor and processor of fresh produce and dairy products in the mid-Atlantic region of the US with its $335m North America fund.

Australian Dairy Farms Group, the first ASX-listed dairy company, has launched a A$16m share placement to pay for the purchase of three dairy farms which will double its production capacity.

Iroquois Valley Farms has bought and leased a 177-acre farm in New York through its Young Farmer Land Access Program.