Russia is complaining that Ukraine’s grain exports are not going to poor countries, undermining the intent of the grain corridor agreement. There is the threat to undue or rewrite that agreement. More than 2 million tons of grain have been shipped over the last five weeks and while not all of it may have gone to poor countries, Moscow is intentionally ignoring the fact that the global grain trade is a single, fungible pie. For example, wheat is amongst the easiest of traded goods to be estimated and replaced according to weight, measure, and amount. The problem with the war was not that Ukraine’s wheat was not getting say Africa, but that its supply was removed from the total global tradable stock. Much as Russia’s...
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.
What You Need to Know Today: Markets got a surprise with a corn yield of 181.2 bushels/acre in the October WASDE, above the average estimate of 177.6 bushels/acre and up from USDA’s September estimate of 178.5 bushels/acre. Although stronger demand is expected to absorb some of the addit...