Industry-fueled topic discussions highlight Oilseed & Grain Trade Summit

June 12, 2014 - PRLog -- Danvers, Mass., June 12, 2014 – Examination of industry-wide game changers, potential disruptions in key origination markets, and challenges and opportunities for all in the sector will dominate the discussions at the 9th annual Oilseed & Grain Trade Summit. The three-day event, which opens with the debut of a full-day, pre-conference Animal Protein Seminar, will be held this year on October 7-9 in New Orleans, La., at the Hyatt Regency.

The Summit, hosted by HighQuest Groupwith participation from Informa Economics, is the largest annual industry event that convenes buyers, sellers and global leaders in the oilseed, protein meals, vegetable oils and feed grains sectors.

This year, a select panel moderated by Gavin Maguire, agriculture markets columnists at Thomson Reuters, and including Dr. Bruce Scherr, Chairman and CEO of Informa Economics, Dr. Michael Stern, vice president, Americas Row Crops, at Monsanto Company, and Dr. Michael Swanson, ag economist and senior vice president for Wells Fargo Bank N.A., will address key trends that are likely to be game changers for the industry.  Among other topics, the group will shed light on:

What is the likelihood that there will be changes in the implementation of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) regulation and what would be the implications for the oilseed and grains sectors?
What impact is the shale oil boom likely to have on the ability of the oilseed and grains sector to ship their production efficiently to end markets?
How could geopolitical events in the Black Sea region affect other major origins such as North and South America?
What does slower economic growth in Southeast Asia and China mean for the agricultural markets?

Other sessions will addresssupply and demand forecasts for oilseeds and their products in 2014/15, while Tom Scott, President and COO of Informa Economics, Inc., will share his perspective as to where the feed grains market is headed in the near and medium term, including price expectations and the impact of competitive crops on pricing. Afternoon breakout sessions will feature in-depth examination of trends and strategies in crop production, sustainability, ag commodity transportation, food and ingredients and more.

Day two of the Oilseed & Grain Trade Summit will provide a look at thetrends in global oilseed processing and grain merchandising, and best practices and tools for risk management.

Svetlana Synkovskaya of APK-Inform Agency will lead a panel discussion on market challenges and opportunities in the Black Sea Region, while Patrick Christie, CEO of Conservis Corporation, along with other agricultural technology entrepreneurs, will discuss how emerging technologies will shape the future of agriculture.

Attendees won’t want to miss the final session presented by geopolitical analyst and former Statfor executive Peter Zeihan, who will address the impact that global geopolitical trends will have on the ag sector in the U.S. and abroad.  Zeihan’s remarks will distill global complexities into actionable items for stakeholders throughout the oilseed and grains sectors.

View the full agenda and register with code PR5-OGTS14 for a 10% discount at www.oilseedandgrain.com. Attendees to the Summit can get discounted fees when attending the co-located Women in Agribusiness as well.

Connect with us: on Twitter @oilseedandgrain, Facebook and Linkedin.
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HighQuest Group, headquartered in Danvers, Mass., is a globally recognized strategic advisory and industry conference company serving the food, agriculture and biofuels markets. www.highquestgroup.com.