Note to Readers Coronavirus Hits Home Despite our best efforts to practice social distancing and good hygiene, including the wearing of masks in public, our staff was impacted by COVID-19 in February. One of our writer/editor’s and family members were hit pretty severely with the disease, and due to lengthy recovery, last week’s article was not completed. This week’s article will provide some additional data on market trends based on 2020 year-end U.S. agricultural export totals and look at how the cash markets in China moved during the lengthy holiday period in the second half of February. Livestock Concerns Over More Disease Outbreaks Raise Supply Questions With China heading back to business as usual fo...
What You Need to Know Today: Markets got a surprise with a corn yield of 181.2 bushels/acre in the October WASDE, above the average estimate of 177.6 bushels/acre and up from USDA’s September estimate of 178.5 bushels/acre. Although stronger demand is expected to absorb some of the addit...
The USDA has lowered its 2026 red meat production forecasts slightly while forecasting a slight increase in broiler production. Beef is now projected at 24.802 billion pounds, 75 million pounds less than in September. Cow slaughter is expected to be up; however, this will be offset by lower ste...
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.