Plant Protection Ban Going Backwards Politicians in different countries have called for bans on different plant protection chemicals and especially on the herbicide glyphosate, but use is continuing and even increasing. Sri Lanka banned glyphosate but then had to reinstate its use on its major export crops tea and rubber. France instituted its Echophyto plan in 2008 for reducing plant protection products by 50 percent by 2025 and says it will outlaw most uses of glyphosate by the end of this year. Instead, EUROACTIV reports that utilization continues including a 21 percent increase in use in plant protection chemicals in 2018 alone. The use of glyphosate increased 10 percent in the latest year reported by Paris. In essence, politics and pr...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year. Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought c...
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.