In a surprising turn of events, Chinese regulators recently lifted the ban on U.S. DDGS that had been set in place in October over concerns regarding the detection of unapproved GM corn strains. Oilseeds Soybean Imports Surge as 2015 Begins Despite the ongoing labor impasse affecting U.S. West Coast ports, soybean imports continued to keep pace with prior projections. Estimates from some Chinese traders place December shipments at 8 MMT. Our estimate, based on telephone surveys with traders in eastern China, remains at 7.5-7.6 MMT for the month. In either case, the strong volume means that 2014 total soybean imports will reach 70 MMT, which would amount to a third consecutive year-on-year increase of 5 MMT.The early signs for the first q...
What You Need to Know Today: Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans continued to accelerate, with USDA reporting another 558 KMT sold to China and 236 KMT to unknown destinations. Combined with sales announced Wednesday and Thursday, the latest purchases bring the three-day total to approximately...
Key Takeaways: With the fall calf run now upon us, producers are finally getting a glimpse of what their realized profits will be for 2026. Some producers may have already obtained a strong estimate of 2026 revenues, especially if calves were forward sold in, for example, the mid-summer...
As fall begins, wild migratory birds are starting their seasonal migration. That has the industry and government officials worried about the potential spread, again, of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Some members of Congress have called for the United States to be prepared for a pote...
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.