Exports point to climate change as the cause of the plateauing in global crop production but no where is it more apparent than in coffee production. Brazil is responsible for 40 percent of global coffee production and around 31 percent of global trade. This year, Brazil’s coffee exports will drop 22 percent, though global trade will only fall 4 percent as other coffee suppliers fill the gap. Brazil’s four-year low in coffee output is the result of last year’s drought conditions and winter frosts. Some of this year’s crop is also seeing dryness but rains have been ample where they count. Traders can manage moving grain crops were they are needed, but only if they have sufficient caffeine to think it through cle...
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.
Brazil’s broiler exports are up 29.9 percent by volume in July and up 43.3 percent in value, and for the January through July period, exports rose 15.2 percent by volume and 19.3 percent in value. China was the top customer in July with 75,000 MT after being closed in July 2025 due to HPA...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with larger vessel classes seeing strong demand from iron ore and coal while Supramax and Handysize rates remain steady. Congestion at the Panama Canal has eased but forward booking slots are showing signs of bottlenecks as draft levels...
Key Takeaways: Ghana’s new law classifies all cocoa plantations as “protected farms,” which carries significant implications for farmers. Chief among these implications is the inability to switch area under cocoa to other crops, even when economic or biological conditio...