Supply/demand analyses require a considerable amount of subjectivity and guesswork, while prices and price changes are facts. All of this leads us to consider of what may have occurred to trigger the current market rally. If someone not following markets on a daily basis casually glanced at a grain/soy futures market screen at about 11:30 a.m. (EDT) this morning, he or she might have thought that U.S. and/or world crops were in big trouble or that some major unexpected source of demand had just surfaced. Soybean futures were up more than 25 cents, soymeal was up more than $10, corn was 5-6 cents higher, and Chicago wheat was up about 13 cents. Across-the-board price jumps like these frequently signal that key fundamental changes in supply/d...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
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.