Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA The World Bank estimates that MENA region economies have been affected by about $200 billion in costs due to COVID-19. The region’s GDP shrunk by 3.8 percent in 2020. However, things have improved for 2021 with the MENA GDP now expected to increase by 2.8 percent and by 4.2 percent in 2022. Much of the 2021 and 2022 increase is due to the recovery in the economy of Egypt. The World Bank also points out that in 13 of 16 countries covered by the region, the standard of living will be lower in 2021 than before COVID-19. Egypt reports that it has strategic wheat reserves that will cover five months consumption. Pakistan’s Agriculture Committee has set a wheat pr...
Russian Grain Markets: 29 June-3 July 2026 The new marketing season has officially begun in Russia, although bearish sentiment has been concentrated in the southern regions closest to the Black Sea ports, where export demand has been weakest. Delays in grain deliveries to inland elevators have...
What You Need to Know Today: The hot, dry weather forecast continues to drive strength in grain futures with corn and soybeans hitting another day of strong gains. Monday’s Crop Progress and Conditions data were in line with market expectations and showed relatively few concerns for the...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.