"That is unusual: investors owning grain silos."

[ensho]

http://news.yahoo.com/investors-seeing-gold-farmland-infrastructure-133536038.html


Investors seeing gold in farmland, infrastructure


The overall economy may be struggling against a double-dip recession but in farm country the boom times have rarely been better.

-snip-

Firms like Omaha-based Gavilon, owned by Ospraie, a hedge fund associated with George Soros and Canada-listed Ceres Global Ag have been buying up grain elevators from Wyoming to Toronto.

That is unusual: investors owning grain silos. But analysts say it's not what it seems. No one wants to hold corn as a long-term asset, like gold bullion. But storing and moving grain for others has now become a very profitable business.

-snip-

Wilson said special market factors, such as changes to the Chicago Board of Trade wheat contract, have also had the cumulative effect of raising prices for grain storage.

-snip-
----------------------

I don't know - having Barons interested in grain silos, etc. makes me uneasy.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Makes me uneasy too.

[jdlh8894]

3. Why does it make you uneasy?

This practice has been going on since the first silo was built.
Nothing to see here.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

6. Revolutions have been fought over land. In fact, it's the #1 reason for revolutions and wars.

Why would you be comfortable with the mega-rich (who will suck the lifeblood out of any country, and they are doing it to ours), buying up grain silos????????

[DURHAM D]

8. Where I come from the elevators are coops.

So the farmers are the owners (and builders) of these structures. They operate as not for profit corporations. Farmers can buy fuel, fertilizer, etc, at a discount and on credit.

I don't know if this is still true but if you were a member of the coop, farmers could buy medical insurance at group rates.

[DURHAM D]

2. Very interesting - thanks for posting. nt

[cutlassmama]

4. Does he suspect coming food shortages? I'm uneasy about this too.

[SpiralHawk]

5. "All your food & water are belong to us." - Eeeleete InVestor CLass (R)

""No cash money bucks, no food or water for you. You smelly proles need a Kickass dose of KompASSionate Konzervativism. Bwaaaaa ha ha ha ha. Sneer."

- Eeeleete InVestor CLass (R)

[OneGrassRoot]

7. Two things:

This story was first noticed by right-wing sites (as usual, the same article was circulated amongst hundreds of blogs). Here is one example from back in June:

http://bunkerville.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/george-soros-buying-up-flooded-farm-land/


Also, last month this article came out. Not sure if it involves Ospraie or not:


"George Soros, the billionaire best known for breaking the Bank of England, is returning money to outside investors in his $25.5 billion firm, ending a career as hedge-fund manager that spanned more than four decades.

Soros, who turns 81 next month, will hand back the money, less than $1 billion, by the end of the year, according to two people briefed on the matter. His firm will focus on managing assets solely for Soros and his family, according to a letter to investors. Keith Anderson, 51, chief investment officer since February 2008, is leaving, said the letter, signed by Soros’s sons Jonathan and Robert, who are co-deputy chairmen."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-26/soros-to-end-four-decades-as-hedge-fund-leader-by-returning-investor-cash.html



No idea of the pertinence of either, but thought I'd share both of these previous tidbits in this thread since I found them both of interest recently.

:hi:

[MineralMan]

9. With grain farms consolidating or being bought up by

corporations, the old Co-op is fading away. Grain storage is, or can be, a profitable business. As more and more family farms get gobbled up, I expect to see more and more grain storage facilities to be bought by investors. Co-ops exist to serve smaller scale farmers. The end result of all of this will be more GMO grains and higher prices. It's corporate farming that makes me uneasy, not who owns the grain storage facilities.