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feed-grains softs

Kenya’s Crop Choices

In yesterday’s WPI Middle East, Mediterranean and Africa Regional analysis report, it was noted that Kenyan farmers are switching from growing maize to growing sweet potatoes. The latter being easier to grow than drought sensitive maize and netting three crops per year. But whether maize or sweet potatoes, rainfall is still necessary and FAO data shows that Kenya’s production of both crops had been declining.  Sweet potatoes can yield up to 10-times or more the weight per hectare, but both crops in Kenya have been relatively volatile.  There are also important nutritional tradeoffs. Where macronutrients are important, maize has a slight edge. And when looked at for micronutrients, the edge goes to sweet potatoes...

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From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

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