Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA The Muslin holy month of Ramadan ends this week and is followed by the Eid al Fitr celebrations (the celebration of breaking the fast) which will be for one to four days depending on the country. Very soon everyone will be back to normal working hours and the MENA grain business will pick up once again. A court in Egypt has upheld the ruling stopping the container vessel Ever Given from leaving Egypt. A further hearing has been scheduled for 22 May. Egypt is looking for $900 million in compensation for the problems caused by the blockage of the Suez Canal. Pakistan has “officially” decided that it must import 4 MMT of wheat this year to meet all local needs. The c...
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...
Russian Grain Markets: 4 - 8 May 2026 During the week under review, the Russian grain market began showing more bullish sentiment despite the traditionally slow pace of business during the May holiday period. Russia celebrates several holidays during early May, with Victory Day on 9 May being t...
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “...
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.