Paraguay’s soy boom: a blessing or a curse?
Paraguay’s is not often highlighted for its economic achievements. Yet after 20 years of stagnation at the end of the 20th century, the landlocked country has enjoyed almost a decade of economic growth, still one of the fastest in Latin America. Driving this impressive expansion is a thriving agricultural sector, and its principal product: soybean. Taking advantage of recent rises international prices, spurred by demand from China and the purchase from EU countries to produce biodiesel, Paraguay is now…
China and Europe continue to invest in South America
Many of the countries sprinkled across South America are enjoying periods of growth, as natural resources and higher standards of education than before present the region as a fantastic place to invest Source: worldfinance.com Chinese investment in South America has increased dramatically over the last decade. An article in Latin Finance points out that bilateral investment between the two countries has grown by 1,400 percent, which equals about $140bn. The Chinese investment contribution is seen as highly…
Proposed Latin America’s billionaires income transparency
An article written by economist Nora Lustig, wonders how can we judge the impact of any proposed tax reform without information on the income share of Latin America’s super-rich. The article, included in the latest issue of “Americas Quarterly”, published by the American Council of the Americas holds the previously exposed. What is the income share of the region’s super-rich? It may be hard to believe, but this question can be answered only for Canada and the United States. Thanks to the…
Chile winemaker Concha y Toro will invest $60 million during 2012
Chile winemaker Concha y Toro will invest $60 million into its own business during 2012, chairman Alfonso Larrain told reporters. Concha y Toro, one of the world’s biggest wine exporters, is focusing its business strategy on premium wines to offset the stronger peso and rising production costs. Concha y Toro reported sales of 87.99 billion Chilean pesos ($180.22 million) during 2012’s first quarter, a 13.5% increase on-year after it acquired Brown-Forman Corp.’s (BFA, BFB) Fetzer Wineyards…
Uruguay, an attractive and safe country for investors
Uruguay, a country with a long term strategy which is based on an open economy to the world”, said Astori who is visiting the International Real Estate conference (SIMA) in Madrid, in which Uruguay this year is a special guest. The four day event which has 150 stands and almost 400 promotion desks offers real estate opportunities in such distant places as Uruguay, Florida in the US, Dominican Republic and Russia. “Uruguay has all the conditions that make an ideal country to invest, not only its proved and…
Asian investment boom seen in Latin America
Selling soybeans, iron and copper ore and other commodities to Asian countries has transformed Latin America over the past decade, stabilizing economies despite worldwide crises and lifting tens of millions of people into the middle class. Now, say officials from both Asia and Latin America, a second gold rush is under way. by The Associated Press Asian investors flush with hundreds of billions of dollars in cash now see Latin America as a top business opportunity, and they’re flooding into manufacturing,…
Grupo Los Grobo says Brazil IPO will have to wait
Argentina’s leading agricultural conglomerate, Grupo Los Grobo, is keeping its planned initial public offering on stand-by as market conditions are not yet suitable. Los Grobo President Gustavo Grobocopatel said in an interview in the coastal city of Cartagena, where he is attending a hemispheric summit, that the company’s IPO plans on Sao Paulo’s BM&F Bovespa stock exchange remain on hold. “It’s not just a problem of market performance,” he said. “We are looking…
Brazil to lead world in biotech crops
Brazil is on course to dislodge the United States as the world’s top producer of biotech crops in the coming years, a leading promoter of farm biotechnology said Tuesday. The US currently holds the lead with 69 million hectares (170 million acres) under biocrop cultivation in 2011, ahead of Brazil with 30.3 million, Argentina with 23.7 million and India with 10.6 million, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) said. But USAAA, a government-funded international body…
Brazil expects to export large amounts of banana
Brazil expects to export large amounts of banana Minas Gerais banana production in 2012 is around 657 thousand tons, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistic (IBGE). According to the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Supplies (SEAPA), a raise of 1% on the previous season is the estimation, after a series of small yearly advances in production. Now producers in the State can count on a new aid to invest in activities, since it’s planned for the second part of the year, the…
Strong demand expected for Chilean kiwifruit
With big-volume California and Italian kiwifruit seasons winding down, importers expect strong demand for Chilean product, expected on U.S. retail shelves by early April. Madera, Calif.-based Western Fresh Marketing Inc. expects to kick off its Chilean program around the end of March, said Chris Kragie, sales manager. Western Fresh’s Chilean volumes should rise about 15% this season, Kragie said. Wenatchee, Wash.-based Giumarra of Wenatchee expects its first arrivals of Chilean kiwifruit in the first or second…
World scientists state that global investments in sustainable agriculture are needed to tackle food insecurity
Nearly one billion people in the world are undernourished, while millions suffer from chronic disease due to excess food consumption. global investments demand is growing for agricultural products and food prices are rising, yet roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Climate change threatens more frequent drought, flooding and pest outbreaks, and the world loses 12 million hectares of agricultural land each year to land degradation. Land clearing and inefficient practices…
Investors in Brazil feel tied on land issue
When Simon Veldt’s father and his fellow Dutch immigrant farmers set up the Holambra II co-operative near Paranapanema in southeastern Brazil, the area was known as “Hunger Valley”. The co-operative, launched in the 1960s, built irrigation systems, introduced agricultural techniques and invested in equipment, changing the face of a district that had been populated by poor farmers subsisting on a few cattle and some corn and beans. “There was no electricity, there was nothing,” says Mr Veldt, president…
China and the Inter-American Development Bank launch $1 billion Latam investment fund
China and the Inter-American Development Bank said on Monday they are starting a $1 billion fund to invest in Latin America, though the Asian giant’s latest push to expand its influence in the region prompted words of caution from Brazil. To feed its fast-growing economy’s voracious appetite for raw materials, China has invested tens of billions of dollars in the region, from Mexico to Argentina, over the last decade to acquire strategic assets or companies in sectors such as oil, minerals and food…
Mubadala Development to invest $2billion in Brazilian group
Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Development will invest $2 billion in the Brazilian business group EBX founded by Eike Batista as part of a strategic partnership. Under the terms of the agreement Mubadala will make the investment in exchange for a 5.63 per cent preferred equity interest in Centennial Asset Brazilian Equity Fund and other offshore holding companies of Batista. The proceeds of Mubadala’s investment will be used to reinforce the group’s already strong capital structure so as to help fund new enterprises…
Brazil aims to reduce business taxes
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has pledged to reduce business taxes on local businesses to help them invest and compete in a world awash with cheap money that is hurting Brazil’s economy, Veja magazine reported on Saturday. Speaking after a meeting with industry leaders, Ms Rousseff told the weekly magazine in an interview on Thursday that the way out of Brazil’s struggle with inflation and slow growth was lower taxes to spur private investment. “Today … I met with some of the most important…
