World Perspectives
biofuel energy

Lag Effect in Biofuel Policy

As usual, policymakers and markets are out of sync with the latest case being renewable fuel mandates and bearish grain markets.As usual, policymakers and markets are out of sync with the latest case being renewable fuel mandates and bearish grain markets. In a rush to counter high oil prices and under the ruse of environmental improvement, state and national governments around the globe began imposing renewable energy requirements in the latter half of the last decade. At the same time, the feedstock for the biomass version of these fuels had begun to move higher in price, creating at the time a "food versus fuel" war. Now agricultural commodity prices are trending in a bear market, and, in typical lag effect, policymakers are reacting to...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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Jul 26 Corn closed at $4.635/bushel, down $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Wheat closed at $6.1675/bushel, down $0.035 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Soybeans closed at $11.785/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  Jul 26 Soymeal closed at $319.1/short ton, up $2.6...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mixed Week and a Mixed Outlook

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Kevin Warsh’s Confirmation Hearings and Policy Directions

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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biofuel energy

E15: What Does It Mean?

Previous administrations—including that of President Donald Trump—have promoted domestic consumption of corn and soybeans through expanded biofuel mandates and subsidies. The original framework for this policy was the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which required the...

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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.

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