World crop production has struggled in 2018 after five consecutive years of record output. The Northern Hemisphere growing season is basically now finished, and things didn’t go so well. World wheat and corn production were significantly affected by drought this past summer. That problem and early frost/freezes on both sides of the Australian continent have badly hurt the canola and barley production there in addition to the wheat crop. Weather is now beginning to also impact North America as the spring wheat, corn and soybean harvests are underway. The Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are too wet and too cool with some snow, and weather forecasts indicate those conditions will continue. That will affect the quantity an...
What You Need to Know Today: As was widely expected, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points to a target range of 3.75–4.00 percent, its first rate increase since 2023, as policymakers respond to persistent inflation pressures. The Fed also signaled that additi...
Key Takeaways: USDA data access is equal; the ability to use it is not. Larger operations can afford experts who turn public reports into business decisions. Analytical capacity is the true advantage. Forecasts matter only when converted into profit, purchasing, and risk-management decisions...
Russian Grain Markets: 7–11 September 2026 During the first week of September, the Russian grain market remained volatile but predominantly bearish. Among the few commodities that continued to show a bullish trend was rye, which is in short supply this year and has few offers available. I...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.