Unseasonal precipitation across much of India is impacting many crops, particularly wheat, fruits and vegetables. In turn, that is expected to continue affecting spot prices as well as rural demand for other items. Unseasonal Rains Could Lead to Higher Food Prices and Affect Rural Demand The unseasonal rains are not over yet with widespread precipitation across northern, western and central parts of India during the second week of March, most notably in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. There was also snowfall in parts of Jammu, Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh that could impact food grain production, particularly wheat in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Meanwhile, fruits like apples, cherries, pears and grapes have suffered losses f...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Key Market Insights Geopolitical Limbo: Geopolitical risk remained a key driver across global commodity markets today. President Trump stated that the Iran memorandum of understanding is not yet final and warned that military action could resume if negotiations fail. Both sides continue w...
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.