

Liquid Investments, an agriculture-focused emerging markets fund manager, added a twist to a plantation tour it held last week by holding an investment summit at the same time in Fortaleza, Brazil.
Liquid is not the first investment firm to showcase its agri assets to potential investors. Asia Plantation Capital, a timberland investment company, set up a joint venture with local families in Thailand in November to showcase plantations – grown for this purpose specifically –and establish a visitor centre for tourists at the same time.
“The idea behind this development is two-fold; primarily to showcase Asia Plantation Capital and its plantation management systems as the most dedicated and advanced plantation company in Asia focusing on the development of the agarwood industry on all levels; as well appealing to the growing tourist aspects of the agarwood industry,” the firm said when it launched the centre in November 2013.
The site is still under construction although APC has an existing site it takes visitors and investors to which is “quite well attended”, according to Adrian Heng, group marketing director. “We actually bring our investors there almost every month – avoiding the rainy season – from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and elsewhere.”
After Liquid’s one-day summit – which featured speakers including Jim Rogers – investors were taken on tours of a neem factory, the operations of its joint venture partner Cohibra, one of the largest plantation owners and managers in the country, and a plantation.
Liquid Investments is currently fundraising for a $250 million 10-year fund to invest into coconut and neem plantations in Brazil alongside joint venture partner Cohibra. The fund is targeting family offices and high net worth individuals for a $100 million first close.