Regional News French traders continue to express concern about losing wheat market share with Algeria and now China increasingly relying on Russian wheat. Recent news that China waived phytosanitary requirements for Russian wheat and barley are increasing worries that the Middle Kingdom, so far a major buyer of French wheat given the poor quality of the 2021/22 harvest, will favor Russian grain going forward. The weather in northern Africa remains hot and dry, which is escalating concerns for a significant crop-damaging drought in the region. European traders are watching the situation carefully as a crop failure in the region could pull large volumes of wheat, barely, and maize from the EU into Africa. Additionally, parts of...
Key Takeaways: USDA data access is equal; the ability to use it is not. Larger operations can afford experts who turn public reports into business decisions. Analytical capacity is the true advantage. Forecasts matter only when converted into profit, purchasing, and risk-management decisions...
Russian Grain Markets: 7–11 September 2026 During the first week of September, the Russian grain market remained volatile but predominantly bearish. Among the few commodities that continued to show a bullish trend was rye, which is in short supply this year and has few offers available. I...
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.