This morning’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report makes it less likely that the Fed will hike short-term rates at the September Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. Consumer prices declined in June as energy prices moved sharply lower following a temporary peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The 0.4 percent monthly decline was larger than the forecast from any economics group surveyed by Bloomberg before the report and marked the biggest drop since COVID. Energy prices were the largest contributor to the decline, falling 5.7 percent for the month, driven by a 9.7 percent drop in gasoline prices. However, the best news is that lower inflation pressure was not confined to the ener...
Markets are caught between reasons to keep selling and reasons to take another look. Fund liquidation and renewed peace talks are pressuring grains, while fresh export business and some diesel relief offer encouragement. Corn recovered nearly 10 cents from its low to finish higher, while soybea...
Key Takeaways: President Trump announced $8 billion in additional agricultural assistance through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program, as USDA projects farm fuel and oil expenses will increase 28.8 percent in 2026. The package follows $12 billion in earlier relief, while government farm payments w...
Key Takeaways: A student group from the University of Chicago is protesting to bring back onion futures trading. Trading in onion futures was banned in 1958 following a spectacular bout of market manipulation that resulted in a corner of the physical market. The ban on onion futures led t...
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.