Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA Reports in Nigeria say that some imported maize has arrived but that the moisture content is too high for immediate use in poultry feed. A total of 262,000 MT of maize was allowed to be imported and has arrived. Syria’s Economy Minister said that the country needs to import 180,000 - 200,000 MT of wheat per month to meet the country’s needs. He said local militias are stopping farmers from delivering wheat to the government. In years past, Syria produced 4 MMT of wheat, but this year will only reach 2.1 MMT with local demand of close to 4 MMT. Much of Syria’s wheat is produced in the Kurdish controlled area but the government has had success in buying some of the w...
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...
Russian Grain Markets: 13–17 July 2026 New-crop trading dominated the Russian grain market during the week as old-crop business largely came to an end. Most transactions shifted to new-crop supplies, establishing new price ranges across the market. Bearish sentiment prevailed across most...
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.