How Jim Rogers Is Coping With The Commodities Downturn

Despite depressed commodities markets and related exchange traded funds (ETFs), perpetual commodities bull Jim Rogers hasn’t lost the faith. In fact, he’s planning for a bright future.

Rogers told CNBC that he was buying farmland himself, based on his belief that 20 years from now we are still going to eat, wear clothes and  the supply of things that enable us to do so will be under pressure. CNBC reports that Rogers is the director of two funds which are buying greenfield land in Brazil and existing farms in Canada and starting to farm it.

Other reasons farming might be an attractive bet for commodities bulls:

• Food inventories are at their lowest point in 50 years
• Demand. Even if it goes flat, such as in the 1930s and the 1970s, the market is still ripe for farmland.
• Agriculture will be one of the best industries in 20-30 years, Rogers says

The recent “collapse” in commodities markets does not worry Rogers one bit. As he says, you are supposed to buy when the markets are collapsing, and especially if you intend to own for a long time.

ETFs are a much easier way to get access to any boom or increased demand in commodities. Unless you’re set on buying farmland - in which case, we can’t stop you. But most investors might find it easier to own an ETF that holds futures instead.

• PowerShares DB Agriculture (DBA): down 10.6% year-to-date; holds corn, wheat, sugar and soybean futures - no crop dusting required

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Comment by Agcapita

2009-03-10 11:15:10

The two farmland funds Jim is involved with are:

Agcapita Farmland Investment Partnership (Canada)

and,

Agrifirma Brazil Limited (Brazil)

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