The Fools of Chelm and Their History

Assists investors and economic planners in identifying opportunities for agroindustrial investment and in designing related projects and policies. Agroindustry accounts for the majority of manufacturing activity in the developing world and represents an important first step on the path to industrialization. Many developing country governments have restricted their investment in agroindustrial and other development projects because of high debt levels and restrictions on credit. This...
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Assists investors and economic planners in identifying opportunities for agroindustrial investment and in designing related projects and policies. Agroindustry accounts for the majority of manufacturing activity in the developing world and represents an important first step on the path to industrialization. Many developing country governments have restricted their investment in agroindustrial and other development projects because of high debt levels and restrictions on credit. This trend has made private-sector investment crucial. Yet relatively little has been written to assist investors and economic planners in identifying opportunities for agroindustrial investment or in designing effective projects and policies. This book is an operating manual for who design or manage commercial agroindustrial enterprises. The study addresses three fundamental concerns: * The practical steps that must be taken to identify, analyze, and select components of an enterprise, such as marketing, processing, and raw material supply * Methods for assessing the financial viability of the enterprise * The management, administrative, and planning activities involved in establishing a successful enterprise, taking national development objectives and policies into account. The first part of the study examines the basic characteristics of an agroindustrial enterprise and presents analytical techniques both for investing in such enterprises and for managing them. The second part of the study profiles seven major agroindustrial commodities: rice, oilseeds, animal feeds, fruits and vegetables, sugar, ethanol from sugarcane, and coffee. The profiles trace each commodity from raw material through processing and review the structure of the market for each. This is a handy and reliable reference for agroindustry analysts, investors, and managers and will also be useful to teachers, policymakers, and staff members of development banks and other credit institutions.