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Cash in on crops

FEATURE: With global population growth placing ever-greater demands on the world's food supplies, agricultural investments could be an important store of value for your portfolio.
February 4, 2010

"Farming looks mighty easy when your plough is a pencil and you're a thousand miles from the corn field," said former US president and sometime farmer Dwight Eisenhower back in 1956. And with demands on the world's food supplies becoming ever more intense, it's easy to think of agriculture as a one-way ticket to riches.

But even with a pencil in your hand rather than a pitchfork, making money from agriculture is still no mean feat. While it’s now easier than ever to get exposure to these trends, soft commodity investment remains a complex business. Like farming itself, you need to be on your toes and have a big slice of luck to avoid losing a fortune.