The market is facing many knowns and unknowns. How President Trump’s tariff war will proceed is top among the unknowns, though it cannot be good until it is over. Now the President is threatening 200 percent tariffs on EU wines and liquor if Brussels does not drop its retaliatory duty on whisky. This is going to heat up fast. And it isn’t just U.S. agriculture feeling the impact. Europe’s FEFAC fears that the EU’s retaliatory tariffs on American grain and oilseeds will increase feed costs. Becoming clearer is the scale of South America’s production. The Rosario Grains Exchange adjusted its estimates for Argentine corn and soybeans lower, but Conab increased its outlook for Brazil’s production. Back...
What You Need to Know Today: A drier early-October forecast should help harvest accelerate across areas of the western Corn Belt that have been running behind, adding pressure to soybeans and soymeal today as concerns over near-term physical tightness begin to ease. Markets are still digesting...
USDA released its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report for 1 September last week. The total inventory of hogs and pigs in the U.S. was 74.3 million head, reflecting a 1 percent decrease from the previous year but a 1.6 percent increase from June 2026, when the June inventory was at its lowest since 2...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector seeing a sharp correction from its recent rally. Smaller vessel classes are steady/firmer but the Chinese Golden Week Holiday is pressuring near-term rates. Dry bulk freight did not receive the bullish boost it...
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.