Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Wheat farmers in parts of Pakistan are complaining that government set wheat prices are going to lead to greatly increased smuggling and shortages of wheat supplies in some areas. There is a lot of confusion about prices with areas like Sindh province reporting there are three “official” purchase prices for local wheat: a federal price, a set regional price, and a set provincial price – the range of prices varies by about 20 percent. And then there are the complaints that traders are offering prices for local wheat much below any of the various government ”set” prices. The Bill and Malinda Gates foundation has invested $10 million in a...
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.
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...