Francisco Javier Abelló

Agricultural Production Engineer, Master of Agribusiness, M.Sc.

Aristóbulo de Valle 455, Martinez (Zip: 1640), Buenos Aires, Argentina Tel.: +54 (911) 5732-9138

Summary of Qualifications

  • 16 years of agricultural production experience,financial, economic and agribusiness analysis, and strategic planning for big commercial agricultural farm operations and ag investments funds.
  • Extension Associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services implementing marketing programs for small farmers and developing educational materials focusing on managerial accounting for farms and ranches.
  • New investments alternatives analysis such farmland expansion through investment in land acquisitions and farm contracts (leased land).
  • Business Economics and Finance Performance Analysis. Presentation and reporting to investors and clients.
  • Agricultural production consulting, economic and financial assessments in South America for capital management and private equity funds (Argentina, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Brazil).
  • Knowledge of quantitative analysis and statistics programs such as Simetar (software package to analyze risk, manage data, and perform statistical analyses), STATA (Data Analysis and Statistical Software).

Professional Experiences

TraulenCo S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina (Farm Management and Administration Company). June 2013 - Present

CEO - Partner

  • CEO for all farms, ranches, and agribusiness firms managed by TraulenCo. It comprises multi-county farm/ranch operations of wheat, corn, sunflower, soybeans (15,000 acres), cow-calf, and improved pastures for fattening and finished steers (63,000 acres).

Agronomist and Ag Business Consultant – AMERRA Capital Management LLC. March 2013 – Present

  • Agricultural production, economic and financial assessmentsof a rice farm in Nicaragua. Audit and follow up during each production cycle.
  • Agricultural production, economic and financial assessments of wheat, corn, and soybeans farms in Paraguay.
  • Agrochemicals Inputs dealer´s credit process audit in Paraguay. The objective of this audit was to analyze the processed information and required information on client’s credit files, as well as the credit approval process in place.
  • Agricultural production assessment of farms in Brazil.

Texas A&M University.College Station, Texas. September 2011-May 2013

Extension Associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Services.

  • Texas MarketMaker Administrator. Involve in the implementation of MarketMaker website in the state of Texas, which serves as an interactive mapping system, linking food industries and agricultural markets, and connecting fisheries, small scale producers and consumers.
  • Implementing and presenting MarketReady program to small scale growers and farmers. MarketReady Training Program was designed to help al food suppliers address the market development risks they face as they seek to develop supplier relationships with chefs, restaurants, grocery, wholesale and foodservice buyers.
  • Presenting MarketMaker at different workshops and conferences in the State of Texas such as: Small Acreage Sheep and Goat Risk Management Workshop, Small Acreage Management and Marketing for Profit, Texas Fruit and nut Orchard Conference, Texas Aquaculture Association, and other conferences. Visiting producers, seafood suppliers

TraulenCo S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina (Farm Management and Administration Company). July 2010-June 2013

Business Consultant - Partner

  • Economic analysis for farms, ranches, and agribusiness firms managed by TraulenCo. Multi-county farm/ranch operations of wheat, corn, sunflower, soybeans, cow-calf, improved pastures for fattening and finished steers and a grain elevator facility with a capacity of 730 thousand bushels.

TraulenCo S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina. July 2007 - July 2010

Chief Financial Officer / Chief Production Officer – Partner

  • Business analysis.Budget preparation, Economic and Finance Performance Analysis. Presentation and reporting to investors, including production and cost analysis per each cost and profit center.
  • Involve in the strategic planning and development of the farm businesses and the grain storage facility. Production and price analysis, pricing strategy.
  • Commodities sales and inputs purchaser officer. Experience with cash, forward and future markets.
  • Research and analysis specific data for alternative investmentanalysis such as Land Acquisitions, Biodiesel project investment, Cropexpansion through contracting investments. Project analysis.
  • Production Chief Officer of two farms, with approximately 10,000 acres of farming and 2,500 steers on improved pastures. Crop and Pasture Production planning and budgeting, monitoring, transportation and logistics, crop contracting with land owners, machinery and equipment contracting.

Ag Management Group S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina. July 2007 - December 2010

Equity Investment Analysis - Partner

  • “Buying Farmland in Argentina” study for foreign investors funds.
  • Production data research, Production analysis and business Model. Current Operations Farmland Investment Profitability Cases of different Type Farms.
  • “Buying Farmland in Uruguay” study for foreign investors funds.
  • Investment Analysis for land acquisitions on different provinces from Argentina. Including, irrigation and non-irrigation farming and ranching activities. This studies also included:
  • Research relevant specific data to sustain correct models.
  • Developed a farm soil map using satellite imagery (Geographic Information Systems) as well as an on farm visit by a soil specialist.
  • Analysis of Extensive Crops and Intensive Crops suitable for production.
  • Analysis of Land costs of the Region
  • Production Costs
  • Overall Production and Business Model. Scenarios analysis.
  • Investment Analysis for buying farmland in the U.S.
  • Investment, production and businessstrategy
  • Production and Business Models
  • Operation Types: Land Acquisitions, Crop Contracts, Tenant Selection.

Costa Salada S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina. July 2003 -June 2007

  • Similar responsibilities that were held in TraulenCo.
  • General Manager of three farms, with approximately 10,000 acres of farming and 5,500 steers on improved pastures, and 5,000 acres of cow calf.
  • Implementation of the Management Information System to facilitatefaster and well-funded business decisions.
  • Implementing and executing a cattle tracing and good agricultural practices system (EurepGAP - Orgainvent) for European markets.

Texas A&M University.College Station, Texas. September 2001 – May 2003

  • Research Associate with Texas Cooperative Extension under Dr. James McGrann.
  • Developed educational materials focusing on managerial accounting for farms and ranches.
  • Gathered production and financial information on individual cow-calf herds through the use of the Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA).
  • Assisted in the development and implementation of a QuickBooks ProTM managerial accounting system for a multi-commodity farm/ranch operation consisting of rice, soybean, wheat, cow-calf, stockers and finished cattle. The ranch has locations in the Gulf Coast region of Texas and in Kansas, and composed of a total of 30,000 acres of land and 5,000 head of cattle.

Costa Salada S.A. Buenos Aires, Argentina. September2000 – August 2001

  • Involved in the implementation of a management information system.

Professional Organizations

AAPEX (Association of Agricultural Production Executives)

  • U.S. Texas A&M University led Agribusiness Group. The purpose of the organization is to promote continuing management education and networking among owners and managers of top production agriculture businesses.

AACREA (Argentine Association of Regional Consortiums for Agricultural Experimentation)

  • The objective of the association is to promote the technological and managerial development of its members. The essence of the movement lies in its methodology of teamwork.

Education

Texas A&M University, Dept. of Agricultural Economics, College Station, Texas.

  • Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (1st year PhD in Agricultural Economics) May 2012
  • Master of Agribusiness Degree May 2003

Universidad Católica Argentina, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • Agricultural Production Engineering September 2000

Skills

Languages: English and Spanish.

Software: Simetar(software package to analyze risk, manage data, and perform statistical analyses), STATA (Data Analysis and Statistical Software), Microsoft Office.

Papers Presentation and Publications

“Evaluating the Factors Influencing the Number of Visits to Farmers’ Markets.”

Francisco Abelló, M. Palma, M. Waller, A. Anderson. Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, Journal of Food Products Marketing, 20:17-35, 2014.

Paper presented at the annual meeting of Southern Agricultural Economics Association, Birmingham, Alabama, February 4-7th, 2012.

“Argentine Commercial Farm/Ranch Management Information Systems: Design, Capabilities, Costs and Benefits (Case Study).” David Hughes, Francisco Abelló and James McGrann, Ag Management Group and Traulen Co S.A., 2009. Presented at the 17th International Farm Management Congress, Agriculture: Food, Fiber and Energy for the Future, Champaign, Illinois, July 20-24th, 2009,

“Impactof the Texas Beef Partnership in Extension Program on Profitability of beef cow-calf herds.” Steven E. Wikse, James M. McGrann, Dennis B. Herd, Lawrence L. Falconer, Patricia S. Holland, Francisco J. Abello, Glenn M. Rogers, Douglas C. Richardson, Darwin R. Yoder, Satheesh Ramachandran

“QuickBooks ProTM Management Accounting Guide for Farmers and Ranchers.” James McGrann, Doug Richardson, Francisco Abelló, Christy Waggoner, Jay Yates, Karen Wilhelm, Brenda Duckworth and Rob Borchardt. Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University, 2002.

“The Basics of Financial Statements for Agricultural Producers.” James McGrann, Francisco Abelló, Doug Richardson and Christy Waggoner. Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University, 2002.

“Beef-PEP Project Makes Significant Improvements in Participants’ Net Income Through Increased Production and Lowering Costs.” James McGrann, Francisco Abelló, Lawrence Falconer, Dennis Herd, Steve Wikse, Pat Holland and Glenn Rogers. Texas A&M University, 2002.

“Cow Reproduction Has Not Improved In The Past Twenty Years.” James McGrann and Francisco Abelló, Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University, 2/4/2002.

References

Danny Klinefelter

Professor and Extension Economist,

Texas A&M University

330B AGLS, 2124 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2124

Phone: (979) 845-7171, Fax: (979) 845-7444

Jim McGrann, Ph.D.

Ranch Management Economist

Professor and Extension Specialist Emeritus,

Texas A&M University

1105 Carmel Court, College Station, TX 77845

+1 979 693 1851

Marco Palma

Associate Professor and Extension Economist,

Texas A&M University

330D AGLS, 2124 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-2124

Phone: (979) 845-5284