Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA The owners of the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal – Ever Given – are claiming that the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is at fault for allowing the vessel to enter the canal during very bad weather and extremely high crosswinds. The owners also say the vessel was to have had two tugboats alongside, but these were not provided by SCA. The SCA is claiming $916 million against the owner and the vessel continues to be held in Egypt. Recent reports have the SCA claim being reduced to $550 million. Courts in Egypt have also ruled that the vessel can continue to be detained but there were stories that the vessel may be released against a $200 million security deposit...
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.