The export of surplus U.S. agricultural production remains hugely important to some crops, especially for cotton and sorghum where over half of output is traded internationally, as well as for soybeans, wheat, and rice. From the 1980’s through 2017, U.S. trade policy was focused on expanding WTO rules and obtaining reciprocal regional and bilateral trade agreements. As a mostly net exporting sector, U.S. agriculture fully supported this policy direction. However, it was a politically challenging position as Congressional Democrats increasingly voted against such initiatives. In 1992 and 1996, Ross Perot ran as a Republican and then an independent presidential candidate opposed to NAFTA. By 2016, Donald Trump had realigned the Republic...
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) enters its mandated six-year review on 1 July. The original intent of the review is outlined in Article 34.7, which obligates members to: Provide recommendations and decide on appropriate actions. Extend the USMCA for another 16 years and meet aga...
Key Market Insights Geopolitical Limbo: Geopolitical risk remained a key driver across global commodity markets today. President Trump stated that the Iran memorandum of understanding is not yet final and warned that military action could resume if negotiations fail. Both sides continue w...
Key Takeaways: Drought remains a major threat to global agricultural production, particularly in regions with limited rainfall and growing water scarcity. Commercially available drought-tolerant traits in corn, soybeans, and wheat have generally delivered modest yield improvements, limiting th...
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.