Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS A feed protein production facility is going to be established in Saudi Arabia. It is reportedly intended to produce as much as 50,000 MT of animal feed protein annually through the processing of methane gas. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2020 with completion taking up to 24 months. Saudi food group Almarai reports a decline in profits. Its dairy sector is said to be down approximately 23 percent due to higher import costs for alfafa, although total sales did rise. However, Almarai reports that its poultry division has done very well and is showing strong growth as well as increased profitability. Egypt is planning to build a $200 million pier and grain termina...
Key Takeaways: The situation in the Arab Gulf is little changed this week, which is to say it is a day-by-day – and sometimes hour-by-hour – judgment call as to what is or will happen. There are some vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, but transits are a fraction of what they...
Grains posted strong gains today, putting the bulls firmly in the driver’s seat. There was no shortage of fuel for the move, with three W’s driving the rally: weather, war and worry. Weather: Cooler temperatures are temporarily easing stress across the Northern Plains and Midwest, b...
Key Takeaways: Global and U.S. cotton demand has struggled since the post-COVID-19 pandemic surge, which has left cotton prices drifting lower in the U.S. The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, along with their impact on global energy markets, could boost cotton demand...
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.