BXR Agro
BXR Agro was established in 2010, when it acquired three farms in the State of Bahia, Brazil with almost 9,000 Has of prime arable land. Since then, BXR Agro has grown to own, long-term lease and operate over 26,000 Has of arable land in Brazil, Paraguay and Mozambique primarily destined for the production of Soybean, Corn and Sorghum for domestic and export markets.
The portfolio of farms is globally managed and coordinated by an experienced management team using standardized administration processes and organizational structures. Operations are then directly run by local managers, agronomists and technicians, who intimately understand the characteristics of their environment, land, climate and communities.
The BXR Agro
Approach
Shareholders and management share a long-term vision for BXR Agro based on sustainability, profitability, positive human development and community engagement.
A farming business cannot be sustainable if it is not profitable. The management and operating teams belong to farming families who have farmed for over generations and have a deep understanding of the need for a long-term vision in order to farm profitably but sustainably while putting the environment and care for the land at the forefront of decision making.
All our farms are now 100% no-till and employing cover crops including brachiaria grasses and commercial and non-commercial sorghum to ensure continuous positive Carbon balances and the highest level of organic matter regeneration. Detailed fertility maps with annual georeferenced sampling and lab analysis and the use of laser guided herbicide sprayers ensure we only apply the minimum necessary inputs to our crops. In addition, latest seed technology combined with the most efficient machinery all combine to ensure production at the most competitive and sustainable level.
Our regional managers and farmers buy into this approach and understand that more sustainable farmers make better farmers. As such BXR Agro is able to attract the highest quality managers who strive to make BXR Agro’s local operations the regional leaders in terms of combining long term sustainability and profitability.
BRAZIL
BXR Agro operates in two locations in Brazil under one operating entity, FIL (Fazenda Iowa Limitada).
Western Bahia
When BXR Agro bought this property of 9,000 arable Hectares in 2010, it was primarily a cotton growing farm, resulting in volatile operating performance. Over time, BXR Agro restructured this operation to operate primarily as a grains farm with Soybean, Corn, Sorghum, Millets and Brachiarias in rotation. This also allowed BXR Agro to dispose of its machinery park to existing employees which established service companies to offer services back to the main operation.
This is part of BXR Agro’s philosophy of creating more stakeholders which can benefit from the success of our farming operations. The Western Bahia operations have been profitable and operating with sustainability at the core ever since this restructuring.
Mato Grosso
On the back of the success in Western Bahia, BXR Agro established a new nucleus of operations in north east Mato Grosso in 2018 by signing a long-term lease on 10,800 Has. Further long-term lease contracts have brought total farmland under operations in 2022 to 14,860 Has, which are double cropped for a total planted area of 29,800 Has. These are much younger farms which require very careful husbandry, soil management and environmental oversight in the early years of operations.
Management have dug into the experience gained from years of operating in the region to apply the right level of human, capital and agricultural resources to ensure these farms are operating at the highest level of sustainable farming practices.
PARAGUAY
In 2018, BXR Agro entered into an agreement with the owners of Estancia Concepción to manage and operate the farm, thus establishing its first Soybean and Corn operations in Paraguay. Estancia Concepción is a 2,500 Has farm in central Paraguay 60 kms from the port of Concepción on the River Paraguay. In keeping with BXR Agro’s philosophy, the farm is managed by a local management team with a focus on soil management and an efficient use of resources.
All works are contracted out to Menonite contract service providers and close links have been forged with the local community. It is hoped that Estancia Concepción is just the first of BXR Agro’s operations in the country.
MOZAMBIQUE
In 2012 BXR Agro established operations in Mozambique by acquiring a controlling interest in Hoyo Hoyo, a 3,000 Has 50-year concession in the Province of Zambezia. In parallel to re-establishing operations and oilseed production on this historically Government run farm, BXR Agro focused efforts on forging strong links with the local community of Lioma where it has helped to provide waterworks, health and childcare related infrastructure and established out-grower programmes. The farm is now amongst the largest producers of sustainable conventional Soybean in the country.
Business Development
BXR Agro continues to seek expansion opportunities in each of its areas of operation, as well as exploring contiguous regions, with a combination of owned and leased farmland. The management team has developed considerable experience in pasture conversion applying careful, sustainable, anti-erosion land development practices. The company will continue to prioritise soybean and corn production, where its expertise and success lies.