Iraq intends to expand the area planted to wheat by 20 percent, but production may not follow. But like much of the Middle East, wheat output is highly dependent on rainfall. Production in Iraq has been far more volatile than the area under sowing. Climate change may worsen crop output. Wars and political strife do not help and seeking to fill the void caused by Black Sea disruptions is understandable. Alternative approaches include increased investment in irrigation, or producing and exporting higher value alternative crop to trade for wheat grown more easily elsewhere. After all, Iraq and other countries correctly and effectively use wheat imports as a one-for-one substitution for domestic shortfalls. But food security is always fa...
What You Need to Know Today: The U.S. and Iran reportedly agreed to pause hostilities to allow vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz this week (theoretically, at least). There were some rumors of a possible Chinese blockade against Taiwan. Analysts are looking for the largest U.S. 1 June cor...
Developer's Note: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where obs...
Corn Argentina Argentina's corn harvest continued to advance at a moderate-to-slow pace, constrained by high moisture levels in both the grain and the fields. Harvest delays remain concentrated in the remaining early-planted corn in central and southern Buenos Aires. To date, harvesting has rea...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.