The situation in the Persian Gulf remains as volatile as ever since it started on 28 February with a supposed weekend peace agreement dissolving into the U.S. Navy firing upon an Iranian vessel. The vessel was trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and reportedly did not heed commands to halt. The move risks collapsing negotiations with Iran, which sent energies and ag commodities higher overnight while U.S. stocks fell. The weekend events in the Gulf started Friday when Iran “opened” the SOH following the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire (at least, that’s what Iran and the media said, with no credit given to the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports, reportedly resulting in estimated losses of $500 million/day),...
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.