Grain & Field Bean Wholesalers Industry Profile

Companies in this industry distribute grains, such as corn, wheat, barley, and oats, and unpolished rice; dry beans; and soybeans and other inedible beans. Major companies include Archer-Daniels-Midland, Bunge, Cargill, and farmer-owned cooperative CHS Inc (all headquartered in the US), along with Louis Dreyfus (the Netherlands).

The global grains ending stocks are forecast to reach about 2.3 billion tons from 2023/24, with a 2% increase in global grains productions, according to the International Grains Council (IGC) forecasts. According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the leaders in corn production are the US, with Argentina, Brazil, and Ukraine are competing export countries. Brazil is the largest cultivator of soybeans, followed by the US. Demand for grain crops is expected to grow in developing countries, where populations, wealth, and meat consumption are increasing rapidly.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), Bunge, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus (collectively known as the ABCD companies) are dominant traders of grain globally. However, traders such as Olam and Wilmar International (both based in Singapore) are quickly establishing a global presence.

The US grain and field bean merchant wholesalers industry includes about 5,000 establishments (single-location companies or units of multi-location companies) that generate annual revenue of about $190 billion.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by food and fuel consumption. Increasing consumption of meat products has fueled significant growth in demand for animal feed, which is made from crops such as soy and corn. Also, ...