Kory Melby, a U.S. farmer who works in Brazil as an agricultural investment consultant, said he has received calls and emails from Chinese grain buyers wanting to partner with Brazilian grain warehouses.
“The Chinese are forming partnerships with megaproducers so everybody feels nice and calm,” he said. “Instead of trying to buy land directly, they are saying, ‘Here’s $10 million at below-market interest rate. You go buy more land. You go buy equipment. You go do what you do well. But we have the option of setting a price and getting paid back in soybeans if we need them.’ “