World Perspectives

U.S. Food Aid Status

The Trump Administration’s placement of the U.S. Agency for International Development on ice has sparked a firestorm in Washington. Critics of the agency point to an NGO industrial complex that works contrary to some American policy goals and diverts money from needy Americans. Supporters say the agency saves lives and counters the influence of competitor nations like China. A headline in today’s Washington Post says, “Gutting USAID threatens billions of dollars for U.S. farms and businesses.” It says hundreds of tons of wheat is currently stranded in Houston. U.S. food aid was supposed to be exempt from aid stoppage but let’s put this all in some context. The U.S. is the world’s largest aid donor. No oth...

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Market Commentary: Conflicting Factors Equals Mixed Day

There are so many conflicting narratives between war and peace, rain and drought, hopes and fears, that it was a mixed day of trading on Friday, and a mixed outcome for the week.  For today, corn suffered its sixth lower day in the past seven trading sessions. There was high volume in soyb...

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Inflation Ramps Up on Energy and Food Away from Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) today, showing that it rose 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, month over month, after being up 0.3 percent in February, and rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.  Energy was the...

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There are so many conflicting narratives between war and peace, rain and drought, hopes and fears, that it was a mixed day of trading on Friday, and a mixed outcome for the week.  For today, corn suffered its sixth lower day in the past seven trading sessions. There was high volume in soyb...

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Inflation Ramps Up on Energy and Food Away from Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) today, showing that it rose 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, month over month, after being up 0.3 percent in February, and rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.  Energy was the...

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Wheat’s Fall from Grace

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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.

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