The CBOT finished higher in the wake of a WASDE report that featured record large U.S. corn and soybean yields. The report was not quite as bearish as pre-report expectations suggested, with ending stocks figures for corn and soybeans remaining in-line with historic norms. Additional support came from the acknowledgement that Wednesday’s yield forecasts do not include the impacts of any adverse weather after 1 August (i.e., the derecho wind event across the Corn Belt earlier this week). Traders are looking for the U.S. corn yield in particular to be revised lower once those impacts are more fully known. The key features from today’s WASDE were the record large corn and soybean yields, pegged at 181.8 and 53.3 BPA, respect...
Macro: Treasury Squeezes Yields, the Dollar Gives Way Today’s markets are offering a lesson in pressure: it rarely disappears — it simply moves. The U.S. Treasury stepped into the bond market after long-term yields surged to levels not seen in nearly two decades. By announcing plans...
Key Takeaways: Weather conditions in Europe have continued to deteriorate following both the EU MARS’ latest balance sheet update and the August WASDE, leaving “official” estimates lagging behind the reality observed on the ground. WPI’s models anticipate a 4 perc...
Key Takeaways: With cattle supplies historically tight and packer margins deeply negative, beef processors are reducing excess slaughter capacity, with decisions over which plants to close driven by cattle availability, operating efficiency, and the ability to maintain high utilization rates...
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.