Opportunities Emerging From Climate Change and Oversupply Discussed at AgriBusiness Global LATAM Conference

Renee Targos By Renee Targos|15 May 2024

Getting connected with LATAM businesses and getting the latest intel on the region motivated 200 attendees to join the AgriBusiness Global LATAM Conference at the Sheraton Grand Panama in Panama City, Panama. With more than 30 exhibitors, the showroom floor bustled with business deals and networking.

Opening the conference as keynote speaker, Valeria Pineiro, Acting Head of the Latin American and Caribbean Region and Senior Research Coordinator for the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) talked about climate change and the opportunities and challenges it brings to Central America and the Caribbean’s crop protection industry.

“There will be a decrease in rain in Central America and the Caribbean, which will affect yields,” Pineiro said. “This region will need different technologies to continue to produce food.”

She said with decreased yields, food prices will go up. The importance of the crop input industry in helping growers to continue to feed the world is paramount.

She also challenged conference attendees to “prioritize innovation while decreasing environmental impact. (The industry) should think about mitigation for climate change and also how these new technologies will be used and adopted by the grower.”

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Other highlights included Abhijit Bose, Chief Marketing Officer for Tagros Chemicals India Pvt. Ltd., who gave an update on India’s crop protection industry. Bose said, “India is the second largest exporter of agrochemicals in the world, and first exporter of agrochemicals to the U.S.”

He said the Government of India is looking at exports and assisting to make the country more competitive by developing better transportation infrastructure, with more ports and roads being upgraded and developed for more efficient exporting.

For opportunities in the country, Bose said businesses should look at biostimulants, crop protection herbicides, and the expansion of research and development services. “Indian companies use about 4%-5% turnover to spend on research and development of new products,” says Bose.

Other highlights included David Li, Marketing Director for SPM Biosciences discussing China’s strategies for LATAM in an oversupply market. AgbioInvestor’s Senior Analyst Lawrence Middler presented on unveiling the biological boom in LATAM. Javier Chavarro, Agribusiness Consultant and Advisor, shared on building a biologicals business strategy.

The day was concluded with a robust panel discussion moderated by Nicolas Potrie, Director of TAFIREL with panelists Paul Romero of Jebargo, Laura Castro Arza with Disagro, and Gabriela Briceno with CropLife Latin America.

Renee Targos, as Editor of AgriBusiness GlobalTM Direct magazine, leads in content development, event programming, and managing the ABG Board of Advisors and strategic growth of the magazine. Renee’s professional experience covers more than two decades of national and international digital and print content development, editing, and journalism. She received a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and continued her education with master’s level courses in business administration and behavioral analysis. Renee has served as a board member for several Arizona-based non-profits and government commissions. See all author stories here.

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