Investors tour California agriculture

A group of "big name" investors are on a tour of California's Central Valley today to introduce them to the state's $30 billion agriculture industry and to ag-related companies as potential investments. The tour started yesterday at UC Davis, where the group heard from researchers and professors about water policy and UC Davis research priorities, according to a press release published on Stock Market News. The tour ends this evening in Fresno.

Investors on the tour represent such firms as Mohr Davidow Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Khosla Ventures, US Venture Partners and J.R. Simplot Company.

"By bringing the investors to the farm, we want to show them various businesses so the two groups can better understand each other's world and requirements," said venture capitalist and tour organizer Joe Hudson.

Phil Christensen, an agricultural asset manager and another tour organizer, said a significant number of large private investors are starting to make bolder and longer-term bets that the world's need for food will continue to grow.

"As California's agricultural industries evolve and their capital requirements increase, we believe that more companies will look to new and non-traditional sources of capital for their growth," Christensen said.

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