News Updates MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE EAST COMMENTS There are only a few weeks to go until Ramadan in all Muslim countries, from about 9 July – 7 August 2013, which is immediately followed by the Eid holidays. During this period there is normally a decrease in business activity because of shorter office and banking hours. It is expected that grain reports and activities in the region will be reduced. Activity is normally greater just prior to Ramadan to ensure that grain stocks are full and supplies are on hand for what is always a period of higher-than-normal consumption.For the Ramadan period in Saudi Arabia, the government is increasing the allocation of flour to each region of the country by 10 percent so that the increased dema...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. weather is getting more attention this week as conditions vary greatly across the western, central, and eastern corn belts, with the different regions battling dryness and too much rain simultaneously. The ProFarmer Crop Tour began today in Indiana and Nebrask...
Key Takeaways: Argentina is on pace for a record corn crop and record exports in the current marketing year, with abundant supplies likely to keep the country highly competitive in global export markets. Argentina’s record exportable surplus is allowing it to offer highly competitive pri...
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.