Markets were considerably more relaxed today amid consolidating trade that saw both sides of yesterday’s closes before finishing mostly lower. However, today’s losses were small for the most part compared with yesterday’s gains. General Comments As previously noted, USDA’s May WASDE with its first real look at the following crop year often sets off a blast of futures market volatility, and yesterday’s release at 12 p.m. (DST) is a case in point. USDA foresees increased crush and exports lowering U.S. 2015/16 ending soybean stocks more than expected and U.S. 2016/17 stocks much more than expected. It indicates the same demand factors will shrink world soybean stocks as well despite another year of record production in 2016/17. These bullis...
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...
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.