Regional News Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeyev remarked on Saturday that the world’s leading grain exporters should consider forming an OPEC-like cartel. The idea is not new, as Gordeyev previously lobbied for such an organization during his 10-year tenure as agriculture minister that ended in 2009. His early ideas were the Black Sea producers (Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan) would compose the cartel, but the latest idea seems to include the EU, the United States, Canada, Argentina, and others. A large grain and oilseed farm in Romania, Agricost, owned by the UAE’s Al Dahra group, has received a EUR 28.8 million loan from Romania’s EximBank. The state-controlled bank lent the money to Agricost i...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Dry bulk markets were volatile but ultimately steady this week with notable differences in rate developments across vessel classes. The Capesize sector, which led the recent rally in freight rates with its dramatic surge, pulled back slightly amid more cautious chartering activity, partic...
Key Market Insights Macro markets delivered a full whipsaw today. Early in the session, crude oil had rallied back above $100/barrel as traders priced renewed concern over the U.S.-Iran standoff and potential supply risk through the Strait of Hormuz. That strength helped pull grains off their o...
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.