Things are bearish for ethanol producers despite a strong gasoline market. Ethanol margins are being squeezed to their lowest point in about six months, mostly on the decrease in ethanol prices. However, corn prices ranging above last year are contributing to the pressure. Renewable Identification Number (RIN) prices are also slumping. Current year D6 ethanol RINs are now trading below 20 cents after starting the year averaging 66 cents through the month of January. That drop in prices is having the reverse impact on the costs of blending, however. RIN prices reflect the cost of compliance with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) as they are the implicit subsidy for biofuel production paid for by the obligated parties but ultimately passed...
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.