Sprouting gains: Chemical ag plays

"Soaring food costs aren’t just hitting families in the US; it’s hitting everyone around the world," says Neil George, senior editor of Personal Finance.

The growth stock expert explains, "During the past five years, consumer food costs have soared by more than 117%. And that momentum is increasing; in the trailing 12 months alone, prices surged more than 52%."  Here, he looks at a trio of ag, chemical and seed plays.

"The mega-investors aren’t waiting around; they're buying into other parts of the ag business—from grain elevators to ag processors and distributors—as a workaround for such potential regulation.

"You shouldn’t be sitting on your hands, either. This food trend is going to be here for a while, so you better stake your claim while buyers still outnumber sellers.

"One way to invest in this trend is to step into companies that are serving the ag producers. This means the companies developing and selling engineered seeds, as well as chemicals and fertilizer products needed to not just grow crops but more bountiful and, therefore, more profitable crops.

"We owned the king -- Monsanto -- for years and cashed out big. But we continue to recommend that you buy and own its better-valued peers, starting with Bayer (OTC: BAYZF), a holding in the 'long hauler' section of our portfolio.

"Bayer is best known for its drug and health products, but a good portion of its profits come from its ag chemicals and other related products and services. Sales surge year after year, and like Monsanto years ago, it's still a bargain.

"Although it may not be touted much now, we'll be sitting on big profits when conventional investors start to sing its praises. Trading at a fraction of its rising sales, Bayer is a buy under 90.

"Joining Bayer as a more-focused ag engineering and chemical maker is another European firm, Syngenta (NYSE: SYT). The company competes with Monsanto in seed engineering, as well as crop protection chemicals increasingly used around the planet.

"Revenues are rising and should continue to increase beyond their current rate in the lower double digits. With the world now recognizing the urgent need to accept engineered seeds for increasing productivity, Syngenta is in the driver's seat.

"Despite being a prime pick, its stock is valued at less than half that of Monsanto based on trailing revenues and net assets. We’ve followed it for years, but we're now adding Syngenta to the Long Haulers as a buy under 65.

"Another smaller, targeted ag chem company we’ve written about for a long time is Makhteshim-Agan (Other OTC: MAIDF). The Israel-based company has several niche products for rice, vegetable and other core food products.

"Relatively unknown and undervalued by the general public, the market is now beginning to take notice. Get ahead of the crowd and buy Makhteshim-Agan under 12."