Doug Johansen

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@wardynmi @PioneerSeeds What looks promising so far ?

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@5thWave_tcronin Had to check the calendar and make sure it wasn't April 1st !

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@GoddessofGrain Agree.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@CVDmarkets Thank you for your attention to this matter !

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@carolbartley511 @Paul_L_OBrien @dutch08358 ❤️

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@bandedagllc Amen !

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@KINGS1973 @farmer_average Same. What's old is apparently new again.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@RandyYmker @KINGS1973 @DaveDanker What are Top kill bulls ?

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@JLinvilleFert How liquid is that contract ?

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@NickvRich @CDeklotz Nice !

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@E_Energy_Adams Sorry to hear this Andrew. Prayers to you and your family as you navigate through this.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@KINGS1973 What plants ?

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@JLinvilleFert I'll take it !

[DeCarleyTrading.com @carleygarner]

Cocoa is putting on a clinic on how high prices cure high prices. After reaching heights no one thought possible, prices have retraced most of their historic rally. While prices were high, consumers, producers, and manufacturers changed their behavior, thereby increasing supply and reducing demand. For instance, manufacturers replaced some cocoa with palm oil in their recipes and reduced the product's size. Some consumers, on the other hand, shifted to non-cocoa sweets, likely breaking some previous habits or addictions. Behavioral changes are why commodities always bust after they boom.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@Diversified_Ag @WiBeanBag @bandedagllc @StripTillFarmr Looks good !

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@laurenpayne2012 Spoke to soon. Gap filled.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@laurenpayne2012 Because I'm watching it.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@KINGS1973 Not helpful.

[Doug Johansen @dpjoha]

@KathyFortune9 Me too !

[Mike and Jeff show @AgrisAcademy @AgrisAcademy]

My Venezuela experience as head of trading in the region for Cargill.

Cargill was/is the leading producer of critical staple ingredients such as flour, pasta, vegetable oil, and rice in VZ. I am not saying I agree with grabbing the dictator, but I did have a front row seat to the damage a kleptocracy did to innocent people.
1. The government took over our "minute rice" facility at gunpoint because we were "gouging" the nation's poor. The government was never able to run the plant. It never ran again. It was returned years later with no equipment inside
2. There are 1000's of generals in the army. They are each given a slice of the economy to loot. The large number of generals made it difficult to organize a coup against the regime.
3. The government opened grocery stores and sold staples below the cost we sold them to the government. In theory they used petro oil money to lower grocery prices. Our regular grocery outlets were forced out of business. When the government demanded we sell them products below cost we simply had to shut down. The populous became ever more dependent on the government handouts. (PS this is the mayor of New York City's proposal.
4. Dollars- We needed dollars to go buy raw materials like wheat from places like the US and Canada. The government would periodically allocate us some dollars that could only be spent for raw materials and freight. Eventually only the local companies that can and would pay bribes got dollar allocations. We had several facilities closed for lack of raw material
5. My employees liked working for Cargill. The office was an armed compound with access to a gym, high speed internet, global communications, and a weekly box of basic staples. Cargill provided a safe and secure environment if only for the working hours.
6. Employees became very close to others inside the apartment building. Going out on the street with a desperate population was not advisable.
7. I needed wood pallets for feed. We tried to export wood pallets to swap for grain. We refused to pay the bribes it would take to export the pallets
8. I once tried to set up a closed loop wheat planting to flour mill supply chain. A. They came and stole all the seed wheat for food. When we tried to ship in seed wheat in containers via US donors there was no way to get it out of the port without it being stolen
9. Livestock- Our feed business completely collapsed. Even if you could raise a pig, you couldn't defend it from being stolen. People with guns were hungry.
10. Employees- In the end my highly skilled team alone with other highly educated people chose to leave. Cargill often found jobs for them in other Latin countries. The regime was more than happy to see the well-educated leave the country. Setting these employees up with high quality stable jobs after fleeing remains one of the best things I ever did in my career. No one remembers millions in trading earnings.

This is a short list. In my opinion the first money spent needs to happen now and it needs to be food. The US is already on the clock. The current regime does not care if it starves the population. The orgy of theft will actually accelerate if they believe their days are numbered. VZ should be an outstanding customer of US grown ag products. Rice, bread wheat, veg oil ect. Feed the people first.

Jeff Kazin
Former head trading Cargill