World Grain - October 2014 - 18

newsreview
Saudi Arabia helps FAO with food security in Iraq
ROME, ITALY - The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is scaling-up critical food and agriculture assistance to highly
vulnerable rural households in Iraq thanks to a $14.7 million grant from
Saudi Arabia. The donation is part of a $500 million grant that Saudi
Arabia has provided to support Iraqis affected by the recent crisis.
The funds will mainly be used to respond to the needs of thousands of rural households whose livelihoods depend on cereal crops
and livestock and who are currently struggling to survive.
"Losses of both assets and income opportunities are exposing a
growing number of poor people to an alarming state of food insecurity," said Fadel El Zubi, FAO representative in Iraq. "Massive
displacement of people and inaccessible farmland, as well as disruptions to fuel supplies, harvest subsidies and food supply chains, are
affecting the availability of and access to food. The situation is likely
to deteriorate as the crisis continues and the emergency situation becomes increasingly complex."
The conflict has seriously impacted cereal harvests in key produc-

tion areas. Ninevah and Salah al-Din governorates, which usually
contribute about a third of Iraq's wheat and 40% of its barley, are
particularly affected.
The reduced harvest may trigger a drop in food supply levels, an
increase in import requirements and a rise in food prices, FAO said.
FAO is working to support farming families and provide them with
the means to sustain their livelihoods and cope with the crisis.
FAO will soon distribute to farmers critically needed wheat seed
and fertilizer for the upcoming planting season (October-November
2014). Simultaneous efforts will be undertaken to build the resilience
of conflict-affected rural households through support to develop backyard vegetable and poultry production, while households headed by
women and poor families will be trained in home food processing and
involved in cash-for-work activities, helping them rebuild their livelihoods, create job opportunities and improve their access to food.
Animal feed will also be distributed to help herders sustain their
flocks (their main assets) and maintain productive livestock activities.

Arlon Group forms Latin America Advisory Board
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - Arlon Group, a global food and agriculture investment firm founded by Continental Grain Company in partnership with VR Investments, announced on Sept. 24 the formation
of the Arlon Latin America Advisory Board.
The five advisory board members are:
* Pedro Parente, chairman - Partner at PRADA Financial Advisory
Group and former chief executive officer (CEO) and president of
Bunge Brazil, COO of Group RBS - Brazil, as well as government
positions as former minister of planning and minister of energy and
mining and chief of staff to President Cardoso.
* Bernardo Parnes - CEO of Deutsche Bank Latin America and
Chief Country Officer Deutsche Bank Brazil and former CEO of
Banco Bradesco BBI SA.
* Erik Peek - CEO of Rabobank Brazil and head of South America
for Rabobank and director of Banco Regional in Paraguay.
* Antonio Quintella - CEO of Peninsula Investimentos and former

CEO of Credit Suisse Americas and Credit Suisse Brazil.
* Roberto Rodrigues - President of the Superior Council of Agribusiness of Sao Paulo's Federation of Industries (FIESP) and president of the governing board of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry
Association (UNICA) and former Brazilian Minister of Agriculture,
Livestock, and Supply.
"The Advisory Board Members bring significant networks and
experience in the food and agriculture sectors as well as Latin American business expertise that will provide valuable perspective and
guidance as we explore investments in Latin America. We are thrilled
that they have agreed to share their insights with us," said David Tanner, managing director of Arlon Group.
Arlon Group also announced the appointment of Guillermo Bilbao
to managing principal of Arlon Group. Bilbao will join the executive
leadership team responsible for North America and Latin America
investing and will be based in Arlon's New York office.

Gavilon acquires Kansas grain elevator
OMAHA, NEBRASKA, U.S. - Gavilon Grain, LLC announced on
Sept. 18 it has acquired a 981,000-bushel grain facility in Silica, Kansas,
U.S. The Silica facility primarily handles wheat, corn, milo and soybeans,
with 60-car shipping capabilities on the Kansas-Oklahoma railroad.
"Kansas grain continues to drive demand by our commercial food
industry customers that want high quality wheat," said Mike Barrett, regional vice-president of North American Grain. "We look for-

ward to extending our storage, marketing, cross-country trading and
risk management capabilities offered in Wichita and Abilene to our
customers and producers in central Kansas. Our local expertise is
backed by Gavilon's strong global network."
The Silica facility is Gavilon's third grain elevator in Kansas, located 100 miles southwest of its shuttle facility in Abilene and 100
miles northwest of the company's largest grain elevator in Wichita.

CWB completes purchase of Sandhills Terminal
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA - CWB announced on Aug.
29 that it has completed the acquisition of Great Sandhills Terminal
Ltd. (GST). The completion of the transaction follows an Aug. 18
meeting of the shareholders of GST at which votes were cast 100%
in favor of the transaction.
"The result of the Great Sandhills Terminal shareholder vote is
a resounding affirmation of farmers' level of confidence in CWB's
strategic direction, and in our ability to be a strong and viable competitor in the Western Canadian marketplace," said CWB President
18

and Chief Executive Officer Ian White. "This deal strengthens our
presence in western Saskatchewan with the addition of another
large-capacity grain terminal and officially puts us in the short-line
railway business."
The acquisition of Great Sandhills Terminal includes a
23,400-tonne capacity high-throughput grain handling facility near
Leader, Saskatchewan, Canada, and a majority stake in Great Sandhills Railway, a shortline railway operating 197 kilometers of track
between Swift Current and Burstall, Saskatchewan, Canada.
October 2014 / World Grain / www.World-Grain.com

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World Grain - October 2014

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