World Perspectives

Different Value-Added

USDA/FAS reports that excessive rains hit Chile earlier this year and damaged a wide swath of that country’s grape crop. What is notable is the concentration of global grape trade by some of the world’s smaller producers of grapes. Six countries (Chile, Peru, South Africa, United States, Mexico, and Australia) that fall into the category of so-called New World suppliers of grapes and grape products represent just 12.6 percent of global production. Yet those same six countries fulfill 58 percent of all global grape trade.  Disparate dominance between production and exports is not unique. China is the largest producer but has 18 percent of the world’s consumers. Chile typically has a perfect climate for grape productio...

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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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