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Agri Business Review | Monday, March 07, 2022
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As the world's population grows and land becomes scarcer, interest in agriculture production as an investment has increased with global population growth.
FREMONT, CA: Investing in agriculture may be a prudent strategic option. After all, regardless of whether the general economy is in recession or growing, individuals must eat. As a result, many investors view agriculture and farming as recession-proof businesses. Additionally, as the world's population grows, agriculture will increasingly maintain global societies.
Purchasing a farm on its whole is not a practical approach for the average investor. Purchasing a farm can be a significant financial commitment, and the time and costs associated with maintaining or leasing a farm are also substantial. Fortunately, investors can obtain exposure to the sector in various ways other than through investing in a farm.
Stocks of Agriculture
Additionally, investors have access to many publicly traded agricultural enterprises. These businesses range from those that grow and produce crops directly to those that operate in various industries that benefit farmers.
Agriculture Crop Production
Investing in companies that cultivate, grow, and harvest crops are one possibility. Numerous commercial companies also operate in ancillary industries such as distribution, processing, and packaging.
Associated Industries
Additionally, investors can purchase shares in a range of agricultural-related enterprises. Three of the leading industries are those that sell fertilizer and seeds, produce farm equipment, and distribute and prepare crops.
● Seeds and fertilizer: Numerous organizations manufacture and sell fertilizer and seeds. Investors should ascertain how much of each firm's revenue comes from agriculture, as some also serve a variety of other sectors.
● Equipment: Because farming is an equipment-intensive business, investors can obtain exposure to the sector by investing in agricultural equipment manufacturers.
● Distribution and transformation: Numerous businesses offer the infrastructure necessary to get produce from the farm to the neighborhood grocery shop.
Agriculture Mutual Funds
Additionally, mutual funds invest in the agriculture and farming industries. If this sounds attractive, individuals should first ascertain if the fund invests in agricultural companies or commodities. Additionally, keep in mind that many of these funds invest in fields other than agriculture. Therefore, if someone is more interested in investing in pure farming or agriculture, they're probably better off looking at other asset classes.
When investing in mutual funds, investors should analyze the costs and performance history of the fund and compare them to those of ETFs, for example. The Fidelity Global Commodity Stock Fund is an example of a mutual fund that invests in agricultural companies or commodities (FFGCX).