Big crops along with growing grain and soybean stocks will continue to be the most important underlying fundamental factor for futures markets and cash markets, just as in 2015.It has been our habit as each year draws to a close to look back at some of the highlights and speculate about what the new year may offer for the future. These are our thoughts for New Year’s Eve 2015.In terms of crop production, 2015 was another banner year. Although USDA’s final U.S. production estimates will not be available until 12 January, it seems very likely that 2015/16 U.S. soybean production has set a new record at just under 4 billion bushels. U.S. corn production should be near 13.7 billion bushels, the third year in a row that it has topped 13.5 billio...
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.