Virus Geopolitics The trade war had already caused changes in supply chains and now COVID-19 is adding to the reconsiderations. However, globalization involves an integration that isn’t easily reversed. As noted by technology analyst Benedict Evans, the world has 5.5 billion people over the age of 14 and 90 percent have access to a mobile phone, 80 percent of those being smart phones. The research and development race is going to exponentially change global integration. Farmers use smart phones to learn and implement changes in inputs but now there is work on using these devices to manage and enable individuals to avoid communicable diseases. Process Tariffs EU officials continue work on import tariffs to be applied based on carbon...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.