China Plays Offense We discussed on Friday the worsening outlook for U.S. – China relations and today Beijing one-upped the Trump Administration. President Trump had been mulling whether to cancel the Phase One trade agreement and Beijing responded that he doesn’t have to if they do it for him. By taking the initiative themselves, they can frame Mr. Trump as impossible to work with and hope that by taking a side in the upcoming U.S. election, they can get a leader in Washington that is easier and less mercurial with which to negotiate. Agricultural markets will sink tremendously regardless of which side does the cancelling. The Trump Administration would likely retaliate with higher tariffs on Chinese goods but that also risks...
What You Need to Know Today: President Trump claimed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was over, as both sides accused one another of violating the terms of the agreement. Commercial vessels are increasingly steering clear of the Strait of Hormuz as security risks escalate following Iran...
Key Takeaways: The CME Group is launching new 90 percent Lean Beef and 50 percent Lean Beef futures and options contracts in July. There are five key factors that must be present in physical markets and futures contract specifications for futures contracts to become successful. The two l...
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.