Crops

The fund has led the largest-ever agtech private equity investment, into a company that produces inputs to improve crop resistance.

The firm has doubled the acreage across its farmland investments having recently acquired six properties for €5.2m.

The USDA has revised the forecast for the year, and also expects major grains to be badly affected until 2020.

The REIT, which now owns 48 farms, continues to focus on high-margin horticultural crops with the 400 acre acquisition.

Growth in the US organic market needs to be backed by better access to seeds, according to the Organic Seed Alliance.

Depressed commodity prices could be brought down further by Brexit market turmoil, meaning lower farmland values but better entry opportunities for investors, said USAG board chair Howard Halderman.

The agricultural seeds corporation has posted a decline in profits, but as it looks at consolidation options it says it sees early signs of an upswing in global agricultural markets.

The €310 million sale was unaffected by ‘Brexit’, but there will be a lasting slowdown in the wider M&A market, the firm said.

The strategy, which would need $400bn over the next 10 years, will co-ordinate and attract increased investment by looking at value chains and helping to reduce risk for investors.

The legislation would require labelling of GE food products but prohibit states from passing similar laws.