USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack justifiably criticized the U.S. beef industry today for hypocrisy in regards to efforts by some industry groups to stall a USDA designation of Brazilian and Argentine beef as safe for import. Iranian Market Prospects The ink is barely dry on a nuclear agreement with Iran, and marketers are already calculating a bonanza of food sales to the long embargoed country. However, it may be a case of counting chickens before they are hatched. Not only must the deal still be approved, Iran will have to show that it is better than North Korea at keeping its word on such an accord. The removal of sanctions should aid Iranian economic growth and thus potential food demand and imports, but this is one category of product tha...
What You Need to Know Today: Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans continued to accelerate, with USDA reporting another 558 KMT sold to China and 236 KMT to unknown destinations. Combined with sales announced Wednesday and Thursday, the latest purchases bring the three-day total to approximately...
Key Takeaways: With the fall calf run now upon us, producers are finally getting a glimpse of what their realized profits will be for 2026. Some producers may have already obtained a strong estimate of 2026 revenues, especially if calves were forward sold in, for example, the mid-summer...
As fall begins, wild migratory birds are starting their seasonal migration. That has the industry and government officials worried about the potential spread, again, of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Some members of Congress have called for the United States to be prepared for a pote...
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.