Global experts from OIL WORLD and CME Group sign on as speakers for the 2013 Soy & Grain Trade Summit

BOSTON, Feb. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Mielke, editor-in-chief of OIL WORLD publications, and Bluford (Blu) Putnam, chief economist at CME Group, have confirmed that they will attend and speak at the 8^th annual Soy & Grain Trade Summit, which will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis, Minn., October 21-23, 2013.

Mielke will present his Global Protein Meal and Veg Oil Outlook, which focuses on supply and demand forecasts, pricing, competition with other row crops, and the challenges facing the global oilseed production and processing sector.

Mielke has been with OIL WORLD, which is recognized worldwide as the independent, authoritative and unbiased information provider for oilseeds, oils and oilmeals, since the mid-1970s. He specializes in global commodity analyses and market research on supply, demand and prices of oilseeds and their derivative products, including soft seeds and tropical oils. Mielke is well known in the oilseed industry as an insightful and trenchant analyst of global trends, and has given over 300 lectures at conferences and workshops around the world.

Putnam, managing director and chief economist of CME Group since 2011, will be speaking for the first time at the Summit on the Impact of Trends in Global Financial Markets on Global Agriculture during the plenary session on the first day of the conference.

At CME Group, which serves the risk management needs of customers around the globe, Putnam leads the group's economic analysis on global financial markets to identify emerging trends, evaluating economic factors and forecasting their impact on CME Group and the company's business strategy. Putnam has more than 35 years experience in the financial services industry with concentrations in central banking, investment research and portfolio management, and has authored five books on international finance.

Mielke and Putnam will be joined by numerous other top speakers from the ag industry at the 2013 Soy & Grain Trade Summit, which will include sessions such as: New Options For Managing Grain and Oilseed Price Risk; Key Destination Markets: New Approaches to Addressing Food Safety/Quality; and Assessing the Future of New GMO Crops and Their Impact on Global Trade Patterns.

For full agenda and registration details on the Summit, which is hosted by HighQuest Partners, visit www.soyandgraintrade.com.

CONTACT: Michelle Pelletier-Marshall
978 887 8800 x117
[email protected]

SOURCE Soy & Grain Trade Summit