Regional News All eyes are on the Black Sea grain export deal, which is set to expire today, 17 July. Russia refused to extend the agreement early Monday and, as of this writing, there has been no further news of talks or negotiations. For all practical purposes, the deal can be considered expired. Insurers are reportedly considering whether to freeze coverage for vessels currently waiting to sail to Ukraine. So far, grain markets have shown little concern for the deal’s expiration, believing that supplies from Russia and the EU – as well as Ukrainian exports via the Danube River or rail systems to northern Europe – will be sufficient to meet global demand. The weather remains a concern for the European...
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.