Regional News Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeyev remarked on Saturday that the world’s leading grain exporters should consider forming an OPEC-like cartel. The idea is not new, as Gordeyev previously lobbied for such an organization during his 10-year tenure as agriculture minister that ended in 2009. His early ideas were the Black Sea producers (Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan) would compose the cartel, but the latest idea seems to include the EU, the United States, Canada, Argentina, and others. A large grain and oilseed farm in Romania, Agricost, owned by the UAE’s Al Dahra group, has received a EUR 28.8 million loan from Romania’s EximBank. The state-controlled bank lent the money to Agricost i...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Regional News Dry weather across the UK and Europe is becoming increasingly concerning for the 2027 crops as planting intentions are lowered amid dry soil conditions. Delayed sowing or establishment under adverse conditions could leave crops more vulnerable to frost/freeze events and dise...
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.