Another government shutdown is looming; WPI’s contacts on Capitol Hill and around Washington are all predicting a shutdown is more likely than not. The non-partisan Committee for a Federal Responsible Budget puts the chances of a shutdown at 90 percent due to lack of time – the fiscal year ends at 11:59 pm on Saturday. First, what does it mean for USDA? That’s not entirely clear yet. All agencies are required to submit contingency plans for a lapse in funding by 1 August every odd numbered year (which would have been about 60 days ago). Those plans are submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, where the final determination is made, and those plans are then posted. As of this morning, the plans for all...
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.