CBOT markets were spooked early this morning after U.S. Presidential aide Peter Navarro commented that the U.S.-China Phase One trade deal was “over”. The news sent corn futures down 8 cents and soybeans 14 cents lower until Navarro amended his statement and suggested it was taken out of context. President Trump later tweeted that the Phase One deal is still “fully intact”, which calmed the market and lifted row crops off session lows. The morning’s volatility highlights how responsive U.S. ag markets are to sudden changes in export prospects and, apparently, how the increasing fragility of U.S.-China relations. Navarro’s errant comment comes just weeks after Chinese officials stated they intend to...
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...
Russian Grain Markets: 29 June-3 July 2026 The new marketing season has officially begun in Russia, although bearish sentiment has been concentrated in the southern regions closest to the Black Sea ports, where export demand has been weakest. Delays in grain deliveries to inland elevators have...
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.