Regional Updates MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS Switzerland-based, Russian-owned Grainbow AG has launched a lawsuit against Egypt’s GASC, which is related to costs incurred as a result of delays in discharge in Egypt and accumulated port/vessel demurrage charges. The suit maintains that the delays were due to inspection problems in Egypt and date back to shipments made in the first quarter of 2017. Iran reports that it imported 650,500 MT of barley during April-July 2017. Iran will receive a visit from board members of the European Feed Manufacturers Federation (FEFAC) and another in early 2018 from the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) to promote the interests of their respective compound feed industries. However,...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
We have described the long-term investment climate in crop and livestock production, using data primarily from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The data provided background on the current investment climate and outlook for agricultural capital formation. Our conclusion was that investment...
From WPI Consulting
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.