One initiative arising out of the U.S.-Africa Leaders' Summit this week in Washington is a commitment by the U.S. Agency for International Development to produce later this year an assessment on the ease of doing business and investing in Africa's agriculture. Runaway Runoff The so-called "Dead Zone" of eutrophication where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico is larger than expected this year, and Ohio is going to make farmers get a license to apply fertilizer after a half million people in Toledo could not drink water due to a nutrient runoff fed algae bloom into Lake Erie. Farmers make the logical argument that they would not over-apply fertilizer since it would be a waste of money, and that fault is difficult to assign when...
What You Need to Know Today: The Trump administration announced new tariffs of 10 percent to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 major U.S. trading partners as part of a Section 301 action aimed at combating forced labor in global supply chains. Countries that have agreed to adopt and enforce bans...
Key Takeaways: Grain futures pulled back sharply in overnight trade Friday on rumors that Ukraine proposed two possible options for ensuring civilian vessel safety in the Black Sea. Both Russia and Ukraine have recently targeted civilian vessels carrying oil and grain in the Sea of Azov...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.