Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA The United Nations reportedly purchased 80,000 MT of Ukraine wheat for Sudan that will be shipped in two 40,000 MT lots in May and July. This is part of the UN food aid program. Financial experts are forecasting a 2020 drop in the value of the Egyptian pound from the current level of about 15.7 to the U.S. dollar to as low as 17.0 to the U.S. dollar. This drop could increase the import cost of grains by about 7.5 percent. The drop is said to be due to the effects on the Egyptian economy by the coronavirus situation. Iraq officials report that the government has received 1.09 MMT of local wheat from the current harvest. The total wheat harvest should reach about 6 MMT...
What You Need to Know Today: Funds remain in control of the market, which means broadly bearish trade for the ag sector. Monday’s massive corn export sale to Mexico helped trigger some short covering and a bit of other end-user buying in corn, which could help stabilize the market. Wheat...
Crop Conditions-Argentina Corn Corn planting in Argentina has reached 47.3 percent of the projected 8.4 Mha, advancing 7.5 percentage points over the week and running 12.3 points ahead of last season, partly due to a larger early-planted area. Fieldwork gained momentum across western and southe...
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.