Due to the current drought situation, South Africa will be relaxing some of its GM grain rules in order to allow maize imports from the U.S. and Mexico. While the country does plant GM maize, not all current U.S. GM varieties are approved for importation there. Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Egypt has announced the development of two new types of wheat that are resistant to several strains of wheat rust as well as 100 percent safe for human consumption. The new varieties were reportedly developed using barley genes to strengthen them against the fungal disease, which is said to be the cause of up to 50 percent of Egypt’s wheat losses every year.The Arab Contractors, an Egyptian construction and contracting company, a...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
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.