Regional News China is now Ukraine’s larges trading partner, notably expanding its agricultural product exports. Ukraine is the largest supplier of sunflower oil to China, followed by Russia. Rains have finally arrived across western Europe that will aid winter crop planting. The rains are too late to help the European corn crop and conditions remain too dry across Ukraine. Russia’s southern regions, including Krasnodar, Stavropol, and Rostov, are also in need of rains by mid-October before grain product may start to fall. South Korean-owned Posco International completed construction of an export facility in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Nikolayev. Posco owns a 75 percent stake in the venture, which is expected...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets remain mixed with Capesize vessels seeing continued pressure from weaker demand while fixtures and rate strength gradually increases towards the smaller vessel classes. Tanker markets are pulling back from their recent highs as tonnage moves out of the Mid...
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.