Commodities...Boom, Bust...where are they heading?

Been too busy to update the site, but have some interesting thoughts now on rubber industry, coffee...also visited blackgoldmovie.com...my interest is more in Asia...and the mother of all commodities RICE.

Was in Vietnam last week, talking coffee and rice...and I must say, having visited blackgoldmovie.com there is also a case for the farmers in Vietnam...often missed by NGOs and others...my only guess is that the situation in Africa could be significantly worse.

On a business note, please do visit www.ibc-asia.com and take a look at some of our work in Rubber, Sugar, Rice, Coffee and all the hard commodities coal, iron ore, steel...the world is certainly revolving around Asia - commodity prices look good, but the big question seems to loom on the future of funds, as well as the whole sentiment factor...yes...sentiment factor that has driven equity markets down in the last couple of weeks...interesting to watch...everything is tied in with oil these days...even sugar..up on the possibility of ethanol (like in Brazil) making a viable option to oil...to replace imports...but this is where the true test lies...will commodity value as human feed (energy to people) eventually mean that products like corn, palm oil, sugar etc...all start feeling a difference when the consumer starts to feel the pinch.

Just look at the dominance of Asia:
- rising middle class (India, China...even SE Asian tigers are back)
- demand for coal, iron ore, steel...all very GDP...building blocks of economies
- food; we do have a rising population, with middle class growth, demand for options and quality..even a more US styled fast approach to everything
- all of above have benefitted shipping...tankers, dry bulk, liner shipping...yesnthey are all donw now, but that not because of a lack of demand...as shipping cycles have it, seems like noone's prepared to learn from past ...

anyway...having done this for more than 10 years now, I feel we're experiencing some of the world's most exciting times...on my part, the investment is in a grossly undervalued product .. FOOD... like to see more value reach the very poor placed that supply a large chunk of the world's food needs. Everything seems connected.

will come back with more specifics on some of the work...need time for that.