HOLAHOW

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[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

[HOLAHOW @holahowsg]

https://t.co/cn5kmByyE7

[HOLAHOW @holahowsg]

@ACOMRB All the best in your next phase in life

[Andrew Whitelaw @WheatWatcher]

Chinese buyers have cancelled or postponed 1mmt of Australian wheat and 500kmt of US wheat.

China has been buying big licks in recent years. This adds to the bearish tone.

[Andrey Sizov @sizov_andre]

#wheat #corn #oatt

[Karen Braun @kannbwx]

People will think the bean # looks "bad", but I might argue the corn one, in context with normal weekly volumes and relative to yearly expectations, were worse. Corn wasn't BAD, though, but more is better. Wheat inspections were fine, esp. given the expected 52-year export low.

[Karen Braun @kannbwx]

🇨🇦Farmers in #Canada will plant more durum wheat, oats, corn and lentils in 2024 versus 2023, and they will plant fewer canola and barley acres. Total wheat area is bigger than analysts expected, canola a little smaller. StatsCan conducted this area survey Dec. 14 - Jan. 22.

[chris kelly @KellyAlspals]

Phosphate supply to remain tight https://t.co/3tUANlUshE

[HOLAHOW @holahowsg]

“US Does Not Get To Stand With Palestinians Until It Stops Arming Israel... https://t.co/GdIr0CdLkT via @YouTube

[HOLAHOW @holahowsg]

UN chief ‘horrified’ by Israeli strike on Gaza ambulance convoy https://t.co/ovdkJOwMJd

[Novara Media @novaramedia]

Over 150 activists and trade union members held a mass picket blockading an arms factory, in protest over the use of UK arms exports in the current genocide against the Palestinian people.

Read more here 👇
https://t.co/uxMlvJfqWn

[Novara Media @novaramedia]

Next year is going to see election media mayhem.

But we exist to provide truthful, leftwing political analysis that stands up for the humanity, rights and living standards of everyone.

We need 5,000 of you to sign up to support our work. Can you help us smash our target?

[Arlan Suderman @ArlanFF101]

Correlation is not causation, nor does it mean that it will continue. But this year's price action parallel to 2013 remains fascinating. We've been watching it for some time. #corn #oatt

[247AG @247dotAg]

Storms continue to ravage some of our southern states this year.

[BAM Weather @bam_weather]

Rainfall forecast from the best performing hi-res model this morning over the next 2 days.

Some very beneficial rains once again for the eastern Ag belt.

#AGwx #oatt #corn #soybeans

[BAM Weather @bam_weather]

☔️Confidence remains high for corridor of moderate rainfall to develop for areas that missed out on 🌧️ ⛈️ chances this past weekend. While activity will be more scattered initially, we'll gladly take additional rain 😃

#AGwx #INwx #ILwx #OHwx #MIwx #WIwx #AGwx #Corn #Soybeans

[Arlan Suderman @ArlanFF101]

Forecasters tell me to expect numerous opportunities to pick up thunderstorm activity over the next week to 10 days that don't necessarily show up in the forecast, although some spots may be missed, which is typical of summer thunderstorm activity. #corn #oatt

[Arlan Suderman @ArlanFF101]

Today's crop ratings will likely fall again, but the weather pattern has definitely changed. I still remain concerned about 25 - 30% of the northern #corn acreage, but we should start filling in dry areas. #oatt

[Arlan Suderman @ArlanFF101]

Forecast models commonly looked at will miss much of the thunderstorm activity expected the next 10 days, and for much of the summer. They simply struggle to pick them up looking forward, but the air flow will support an active pattern of thunderstorm development. #oatt #corn