Russian Grain Markets: 28 October – 1 November 2024Russian analysts revised the 2024 Russian crop downwards to 128.8 MMT without newly occupied territories but with Crimea which was occupied a decade ago. This new forecast is down 11 percent from the previous year. Wheat is at 85.6 MMT – down 8 percent, barley down 12 percent at 18.6 MMT, and corn is at 12.2 MMT – down 26.5 percent. Domestic consumption in Russia is estimated at 74.2 MMT versus 74.4 MMT in 2023 which is strange because with more occupied territories you would think you would need to feed more people. At the same time, losses of armed forces in the front in Ukraine are massive and are believed to be hundreds of thousands. The Ministry of Agriculture forecasts the grain...
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. launches naval escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran attacks UAE oil infrastructure, escalating geopolitical risk and supporting energy and broader commodity markets Biofuel demand entering uncharted territory, with soyoil valuation increasingly di...
CORN Argentina In Argentina, after several weeks of intense and frequent rainfall, weather conditions have improved, with clear days, dry cold, and wind supporting both soil and grain drying. Harvest activity has resumed; however, producers continue to prioritize soybeans, limiting progress in...
Update for 6 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where ob...