Who are the 15 largest agribusinesses in Argentina?

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Argentina cultivates an area equivalent to the territory of Italy. It is more than 30 million hectares and the largest genuine source of dollars for the local economy. Still, little is known about who is who in this, as the spirit of the Argentine Rural Society says: “To sow the soil is to serve the Homeland”.

The latest Agricultural Census 2018 gives some clues about land ownership and its use but does not provide names and surnames. That said, it does highlight the immense atomization of this open-air industry that, with more than 250,000 productive plots and no less than 100,000 producers, invests more than US$ 25 billion every year in leases, sowing, fertilizers, and harvesting, to mention just some of its most outstanding interventions in a productive process that does not stop.

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It is necessary to bring together the 95 largest sowing groups to reach 3 million hectares, about 10% of the surface area. In this group, all plant at least 7,000 hectares, both on their fields and, above all, on rented fields. Meanwhile, the first 15 have an estimated 1.6 million hectares with a base of 50,000 and an average of more than 100,000 in each case.

MAIN PLANTING GROUPS IN ARGENTINA

The list of these leading groups with a strong presence of Argentine capital among their principal shareholders is based on public data and estimates dating back to the last four years to provide an approximate overview of the most relevant players in the most dynamic industry of the local economy.

15. CAZENAVE Y ASOC.
Santiago Casares

50,000 hectares

A production model based on more than 40 years of experience allows it to lease land and partner with large companies as a supplier of certified raw materials.

14. VIREYES AGROPECUARIA
Carlos Reyes Terrabusi

50,000 hectares

One of the former owners of the famous cookie factory is not only vital in agriculture, he also does cattle raising via TerraGarba and is passionate about horses.

13. MANIAGRO
Daniel Cavigliasso

60,000 hectares

It is one of the three companies that emerged from the spin-off of this Cordoba family historically linked to the production and export of peanuts.

12. MAN AGRO
Rafael Aliaga

60,000 hectares

For decades, the company led by Aliaga and worked 100% on rented fields has been transforming with the progressive entry of the Bayá Casal family and its new imprint.

11. RIO SECO GROUP
A dozen partners

65,000 hectares

The surface area of each company’s farms varies greatly (from 1,500 to 16,000 hectares) between owned and rented fields to carry out their activities. It is an associative model that is repeated throughout the country.

10. LIAG ARGENTINA
Markus Kahlbetzer

79,000 hectares

With revenues of US$ 11.986 billion last year, the Australian capital firm has 30,000 hectares under irrigation and is probably the player with the most significant area under irrigation in the industry.

9. BOEHLER GROUP
Raúl and Julio Boehler

80,000 hectares

Based in Río Cuarto, Córdoba, but with their epicenter in Villa Mercedes, the Boehler brothers are characterized by their low profile, but between their own and rented fields, they are a heavyweight in the sector.

8. THE GROBOS
Gustavo Grobocopatel

99,000 hectares

In the fiscal year to June 30, 2021, agricultural production contributed US$10.129 billion to the more than US$56 billion invoiced by the group.

7. ANDREOLI GROUP
Andreoli Family

100,000 hectares

The family with Italian roots is one of the major players in local agriculture and integrates the value chain as the owner of the largest animal nutrition company: Baires.

6. DUHAU GROUP
Enrique Urbano Duhau Nelson

120,000 hectares

The Duhau Nelson family was the subject of a Harvard University case study. It is one of the ten largest agricultural groups in Argentina.

5. CRESUD
Eduardo Elsztain

132,000 hectares

The Agricultural Businesses division (including livestock) in Argentina contributed revenues of US$16.122 billion in the year ended June 30, 2021.

4. MSU
Manuel Santos Uribelarrea Balcarce

140,000 hectares

One of the pioneers in the agricultural leasing business has also made a name for itself in Brazil, among other markets in the region. In Argentina alone, it had a turnover of US$11.73 billion in its last fiscal year.

3. LARTIRIGOYEN Y CÍA
Ignacio Lartirigoyen

150,000 hectares

In the last annual fiscal year, the company that Lartirigoyen and his partners share equally with the Glencore group had a turnover of US$710 million with 1050 employees.

2. AGD
Roberto Daniel Urquía

200,000 hectares

At least 20% of this surface belongs to the Urquía family, while the rest is leased land or associated with third-party producers.

1. ADECOAGRO
Mariano Bosch

210,000 hectares

The number one in the agricultural business in Argentina is held by the giant Adecoagro. In the first half of the year alone, it had a global turnover of US$446 million. In that period, the agricultural business in Argentina, which includes dairy and rice mills, contributed close to 40% of the EBITDA of the NYSE listed company.

With information from Apertura