Latin American agricultural businesses are looking for investment from Chinese companies, but they may also face obstacles before they can successfully invest, according to participants at the 3rd Latin American China Investors Forum on Tuesday.

Zhu Xinqiang, vice-governor of the Export-Import Bank of China, one of China's policy banks said the bank will try to finance Chinese companies investing in the agricultural sector in Latin America.

However, due to the unique nature of the industry, investors face a lengthy process before an agriculture loan can be lent, said Lu Mei, Partner of the SinoLatin Capital, a financial advisory and private equity firm functioning as a platform between China and Latin America.

Lu noted that it is hard for Chinese companies to successfully invest in Latin America. Pioneering companies should try to have a good reputation such as protecting local environment, to make future investment in Latin America easier, Lu said.

Companies with a green concept are more likely to get funding, said Zhong Yin, an associate investment officer of the International Finance Corporation's Resident Mission in China.

Many Chinese companies may have invested a lot of money in a project without knowing that they should have had a "holding structure" to minimize their total tax burdens, said Temmy Tu, marketing director of Amicorp Group, a world-wide financial service provider.

The 3rd Latin American China Investors Forum is held in Beijing on Sept 13 and Sept 14.