Fundraising

The 10 largest fund closes last year raised $92bn, surpassing the $86bn in 2015 and showing the asset class continues to attract capital in a low-growth environment.

Paris-headquartered Céréa Partenaire has raised almost €700 million to invest in Western European agribusiness through its buyout, mezzanine, and senior debt arms, sister publication Private Equity International reported.

SJF typically invests between $3 and $10 million into expansion-stage companies.

Water Asset Management is raising a $300m fund that will invest in water resources across the western US, Agri Investor has learned.

McLarty Capital Partners plans to lock down enough capital for the first close of its recently-launched Rural Business Investment Company by mid-2017.

The fund will invest in 10-12 companies selected from over 40 sub-sectors in the agri and food value chain, with an average investment of $15 million.

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.

Singapore’s Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp and its asset management unit Lion Global Investors have closed a S$550m private equity fund to invest in agriculture and commodity companies across Asia.

The Small Enterprise Assistance Fund (SEAF), the impact investment fund manager with investments in over 33 countries, is gearing up to launch a new $100m India-focused agri fund.

Stafford Capital Partners, which invests in timberland through funds of funds, has added global agriculture to its investment strategies, saying it intends to replicate its successful timberland model.