The big news in commodity markets Monday was the release of USDA’s Prospective Plantings and Grain Stocks reports, the former of which offered the agency’s first detailed assessment of 2025 acreage. The report featured the expected increase in corn area and decrease in soybean plantings, though as discussed further below, the acreage swings were larger than expected. The stocks report was a little less exciting and came in mostly as expected, except for larger wheat supplies that will likely pressure old crop stocks moving forward. The reaction to the reports was somewhat muted for corn and the soy complex, indicating traders had already accounted for these and slightly larger acreage swings. The rally in wheat, however, indicat...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e. lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the ma...
Key Takeaways: Lamb and goat tariffs protect market share, not prices. The flock is too small to respond quickly, and the burden depends on origin: 12.5 percent on Australia and New Zealand, reportedly 37.5 percent plus the base rate on China. Wool is most exposed via the export side. The U.S...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector falling on the demand slump stemming from China’s Golden Week holiday while Panamax and smaller vessel class rates remain firm. The Atlantic’s first hurricane of the season, Hurricane Isaias, intensi...
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.