Food Processing

Fonds agroalimentaire CDPQ will make direct and fund investments designed to support Quebec’s agri businesses, new farmers and established family farmers.

The Economist Corporate Network’s Africa director says national governments can play an important role in creating opportunities for private equity investments in Africa’s food and agriculture sectors.

The firm will pick up PENM Partners’ $100m stake in Masan Group and invest an additional $150m in the company’s meat platform, according to sister publication Private Equity International.

The capital injection will allow the company, a leading producer of pulses and rice, to refinance part of its existing debt, expand into organic ready-to-eat products and strengthen its ESG program.

OPIC has committed up to $75 million to the fund manager’s second agricultural fund, which like its predecessor will target the food and FMCG value chain in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Agribusiness Latin America II Fund has raised $349.05m and is understood to target annual returns of more than 20 percent by focusing on mid-market food and agribusinesses across Latin America.

The new line of credit will finance LDC’s working capital needs in eight countries in Eastern Europe and North Africa.

The Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders project aims to help Cambodian farmers improve yields and strengthen connections with local markets and investors.

The Chinese grain trader now exclusively owns Dutch agribusiness Nidera and has selected Johnny Chi, chief executive of COFCO International and COFCO Agri, as Nidera’s new CEO.

The investment brings Irving, Texas-based Tillridge to more than halfway towards the fund’s $750m target.