The CBOT opened with continued soy complex short covering that led to buy soybeans/sell corn/wheat spread trades. News that a U.S.-China trade deal could be negotiated before the 15 December tariff deadline was viewed as bullish commodities, as was news of a U.S.-Japan trade deal. Funds were active buyers in the soy complex today while selling into the corn and wheat markets. The Argentine forecast features much better rainfall mid-December with good precipitation across Cordoba and northern Buenos Aires. If realized, the rainfall timing would be nearly ideal, allowing the present wheat/barley harvest and corn/soybean planting to mostly finish, while then providing needed rains for the spring crops. Brazil’s rainfall remains near-nor...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.