INFORMA ECONOMICS TO HOLD LIVESTOCK AND MEAT ANALYSIS WORKSHOP

Commodity market volatility in recent years underscores the necessity for a solid understanding of how the markets function and how best to analyze them. This is the foundation for Informa Economics' Livestock and Meat Analysis Workshop, to be held May 12 at the Memphis Hilton Hotel. This course will provide participants with a variety of tools and skills that can be applied to the cattle and beef, hogs and pork and poultry markets. (The workshop precedes the company's Livestock, Meat, Poultry and Dairy Spring Conference and Industry Overview to be held May 13-14.)

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April 7, 2010

Renewed economic growth around the globe via synchronous expansion in all major industrial, emerged and emerging economies will provide opportunities for all of the sectors in the livestock, meat, poultry and dairy value chains to seize as we move through 2010 and into 2011. This encouraging business environment and more will be discussed by Informa Economics' top economists and invited speakers and panelists at Informa Economics' Livestock, Meat, Poultry and Dairy Spring Conference and Industry Overview to be held May 13-14 at the Hilton Hotel, Memphis, Tenn.

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Informa Economics announced today that Senator Mike Johanns (R., Neb.) will provide the keynote address at its 18th Annual Food and Agriculture Policy Conference, to be held April 22-23 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va. In addition to Informa, the event is sponsored by Deere & Co., Monsanto and Syngenta. "We believe we have an outstanding conference planned for the agricultural community again this year, and we are delighted to add Senator Johanns and Ambassador Isi Siddiqui, who is the chief agricultural negotiator at the US Trade Representative's office, to our line-up of public officials, industry experts, journalists and others who are joining us to make this effort possible," said Informa Economics Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Scherr.

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Informa Economics announced today that three prominent agribusinesses are joining it as sponsors of its 18th Annual Food and Agriculture Policy Conference, to be held April 22-23 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. The sponsors include Deere & Co., Monsanto and Syngenta. "We believe we have an outstanding conference planned for the agricultural community again this year, and we certainly are grateful for the help our sponsors provide in making this effort possible," said Informa Economics CEO and Chairman of the Board Bruce Scherr.

Informa's two-day April conference, entitled "Beyond the Farm Bill: Agriculture’s New Challenges," will focus on the most important factors driving today's policy debate. In addition to policy concerns and issues, the conference will focus on economic prospects for the sector: renewable fuels policies and outlook; and the administration's new anti-trust efforts. The first day will conclude with a panel discussion of farm politics, the Administration's first year and a look ahead.

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The 2009 US inland barge fleet shrank for the first time in four years and now is the smallest since 1988. There were 628 new barges added to the overall fleet as of the end of last year while 1,126 barges were retired, according to a just-released report by Informa Economics, Inc. Among the different barge types, the number of covered barges declined for the eleventh consecutive year, open barges fell for the first time since 2004, while the number of tank barges increased for the third year.

The Barge Fleet Profile, now in its 23rd year, is an annual report published by Informa Economics. The report identifies the line haul, commodity carrying fleet of inland barges operating on the Mississippi River system, its connecting waterways and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The report, which is compiled through an annual survey of operators as well as information from the Army Corps of Engineers, also summarizes the size and average age of the fleet by barge operator for each type of barge. Included are covered barges that move grains and oilseeds, fertilizers, steel and other products, as well as open barges that haul coal, sand, gravel and similar product types. Details on tank barges that transport liquid products, such as crude oils and renewable fuels, also are incorporated into the report.

A sister publication, the Barge Commodity Profile, is in its sixth year of publication, also was just released by Informa, offering exclusive barge pressure indices. These indices provide a valuable tool in assessing the supply and demand for barges. The report also presents barometers of barge fleet size and movements by commodity type, commodity ton miles and average distance hauled on the Mississippi River system, its connecting waterways and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. According to the most recent Informa pressure indices, the report details that while the barge fleet has shrunk, commodity movements have weakened. The respective barge pressure indices all have relaxed as a result of the smaller fleet and lower volumes moved.

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March 11, 2010

INFORMA ECONOMICS TO STUDY DYNAMICS OF BRAZILIAN FARMING, RANCHING

Brazil is considered by most to be the quintessential competitor of North American agriculture. While a major competitor, current global food and fiber trends suggest the need for ever viable agricultural producing nations and the infrastructure to provide adequate food and fiber to growing and economically advancing new middle income consumers worldwide. The time for Brazil as a global agriculture competitor is now and questions abound about just how aggressive this agriculture powerhouse can be and how it will impact competitor nations and importers over the next decade.

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March 9, 2010

The Brazilian meat sector is classified as one of the most dynamic in the world, with Brazil being the world's second largest meat producer and number one in international trade. While Brazil's beef reputation is well known, poultry exports now lead in terms of meat protein exports from Brazil. The country's competitive edge lies in the relatively low production costs of important raw materials (corn and soybean meal) and a well-developed, integrated farming system. Furthermore, the population consumes some 70 percent of poultry meats—a critical factor when considering the development of a domestic industry. Nurturing this meat demand in Brazil is the fact that the country's disposable income level has been increasing and, thus, the country has shown signs of significant meat protein demand growth. This has shielded domestic producers from some of the impact of the global recession.

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March 8, 2010

INFORMA ECONOMICS TO STUDY STRUCTURE, OUTLOOK OF DOMESTIC FARM SUPPLY INDUSTRY

The agricultural inputs industry is under a continuous process of adjustment, reflecting longterm and newly emerging structural changes in the farm sector, rapid technological advancements that redefine the products and services demanded by the sector, and external policy and regulatory forces that can eliminate some markets and create others. The industry is both dynamic and diverse, with firms that span the size spectrum from small, family-owned retailers and short-line implement manufacturers to multi-national corporations with a global presence—all competing for a share of the $300+-billion agricultural input and services market. To remain competitive in this environment requires a careful assessment of the customer base, the competitive profile of the firms that serve the various input subsector and the drivers of change that will influence the needs of farmers and ranchers in years to come.

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January 8, 2010

INFORMA ECONOMICS ANNOUNCES PROMOTIONS

Informa Economics, Inc. Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Scherr and Informa Economics President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Scott recently announced several promotions within the company.

Chris Eggerman was promoted to Informa Economics Senior Commodity Analyst within Informa's fundamental economic research and analysis service. Prior to joining the company, he was an agricultural research assistant within the Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University. While there, he developed a stochastic model of Texas crops to forecast farm income for the state and analyzed the effects of rising fuel prices on Texas crop incomes. Eggerman also interned with USDA's Farm Service Agency where he reviewed and corrected reports of subsidy payments made to dairy farmers. He received his bachelor's degree in agricultural business from Missouri State University and received his master's degree in agricultural economics from Texas A&M University.

Mark Jordan also was promoted to Informa Economics Senior Poultry and Egg Analyst. Jordan is responsible for research of the broiler, turkey, and egg industries, and his analysis focuses on the short- and long-term impacts of changing market conditions within each sector. Prior to joining Informa, he was an agricultural statistician in the Pennsylvania field office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service where his duties included survey administration and setting commodity estimates. Jordan received a bachelor's degree in agribusiness from Arkansas State University and a master's degree in agricultural economics from the University of Arkansas.

Darwin Lockhart was named a Senior Consultant for the company. From Informa Economics' Winnipeg office, his primary responsibility is to provide analytic support in both projects and Canadian commodity research. This work encompasses a wide variety of sectors across Canadian agribusiness with areas of expertise including the use of Geographic Information System technology to provide site selection and spatial competitive analyses involving the evaluation and modeling of grain and their handling networks. Prior to joining the company, Lockhart worked for the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE) where he held positions as market research analyst and market information manager. While at the WCE, Lockhart's primary responsibility was the coordination of all aspects of market information accumulation and dissemination. He received his bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Manitoba.

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