Regional Updates MEDITERRANEAN/MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA/AFRICA – MEA REGION Much of the region is closed until 5 May due to post Ramadan Muslim holidays for Eid El Fitr. Iraq’s official projection for the wheat crop for 2022 is 2.5-3 MMT which the government says will cover all needs to the end of 2022. The area planted in rice will be reduced due to a shortage of available water resources. Egypt’s inflation could reach as high as 17 percent in 2022 according to projections by Goldman Sachs – mainly due to lower value for the Egyptian currency and much higher food costs. Egypt is very vulnerable due to its normal supply of 80 percent of wheat imports from Russia and Ukraine and up to 40 percent of tourists coming...
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.