Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Desert locust outbreaks in Saudi Arabia and Egypt are a concern for crops. Much rainfall and strong winds are expanding swarms as well as bringing them north from Eritrea and Sudan, a situation that is expected to continue through the rest of this month. According to an FAO report, a locust can both travel 150 km and eat its own weight in food each day. Algeria’s government reports that the country’s grain import bill was up 11.5 percent in 2018 at $3.1 billion. Although local grain production was 6 percent higher at 3.7 MMT, rising international grain prices increased the cost of imports. A decline in barley purchases by Saudi Arabia and China is said to be the reason for...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
We have described the long-term investment climate in crop and livestock production, using data primarily from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The data provided background on the current investment climate and outlook for agricultural capital formation. Our conclusion was that investment...
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.