Oilseeds China Looks to Russia for Alternative Soybean Supplies With a trade war looming between the U.S. and China, much of the commentary has focused on the latter’s limited alternative sourcing options for soybeans. While its threat of a 25-percent tariff on U.S. soybeans would certainly impact the largest single U.S. agricultural export to the Middle Kingdom, which accounted for more than 60 percent of the total value of all such exports shipped there in 2017, observers have correctly noted that China would have few other sources. At present, it imports about 64 percent of the 151 MMT of soybeans traded worldwide with 53 percent coming from Brazil, 35 percent from the U.S. and 7 percent from Argentina. That leaves about 5 percen...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.