World Perspectives

Breaking Eggs with Poor Math

Activists have been pressuring the Biden Administration to take more action against Big Ag. The latest is an attack on egg production. Opponents are blaming the spread of avian influenza (AI) and the high cost of eggs on what they claim is 110 billion eggs produced on just 347 farms. They assert that AI spreads because laying hens lack genetic diversity, and their population is too dense. But AI is being spread by wild flocks of birds, which are no doubt genetically diverse and more dispersed.  They claim that Cal-Maine, the largest egg producer, profited hugely in 2023 but that is cherry picking data. The company’s stock is up 3.4 percent year-to-date (YTD), but down 2.5 percent from its peak a month ago. Meanwhile, the S&P...

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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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