World Perspectives
softs

Volatility in Pistachios

The U.S. first displaced Iran as the world’s leading producer of pistachios in 2012 and for the past four years it has not even been a contest. Iran’s downfall was in part U.S. trade sanctions, but also its failure to manage water resources and disease problems properly. While the pistachio tree is largely a desert plant, water problems may yet befall the U.S. industry, which is largely based in California. However, another noticeable problem for pistachio production generally is volatile income from year to year since it is a biennial-bearing crop. Turkey has been expanding pistachio production relatively quickly and has surpassed Iran in output in recent years based on an alternating production cycle. Based on FAO data, produ...

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WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 24 November)

Update for 28 April 2025: 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 o...

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From WPI Consulting

Infrastructure investment due diligence

On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.

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