Bunge links farmers to the global marketplace, providing market access and information. We also consult with them on ways to increase farm profitability and improve their business overall. We offer an array of agronomic services and collaborate on crop planning, risk management and direct sales programs.
Like a plant's many varieties, our work with farmers takes different forms in the many places around the world where we buy grains and oilseeds, but the goal always is the same—to give our growers highly informed, personalized service.
Tim Ridgley, a Bunge grain marketing specialist in the United States, embodies this mission. Tim works with farmer-customers in Missouri and Illinois, developing marketing programs to help them better manage their businesses.
Tim works with more than 200 farmers. One of his customers is the Bushmeyer family, which has been farming its land in East Hannibal, Illinois, for 100 years. Bushmeyer Farms, which grows corn, soybeans and wheat, has been a customer since 1969, when Bunge opened a grain elevator nearby on the banks of the Mississippi.
"We value the personal attention that Bunge gives our business," says Steve Bushmeyer, who runs the farm with his brother, cousin and other family members. "Tim does a great job of keeping us up to date on prices and changes in the market and helping us plan ahead and manage our risk."
In South America, where Bunge is the largest fertilizer manufacturer, we supply farmers in Brazil and Argentina with a full portfolio of products and services, including crop nutrients and agronomic consulting. Bunge also provides information on the latest farming techniques, and we share our expertise on trends in the global commodities markets with farmers individually and at meetings, workshops and special forums.