General Comments Since gasoline prices are included in the energy sector, they do not figure into the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank's calculations of the rate of "core inflation" as the bank defines it. Yet, changes in the price of gasoline at the pump are probably the single most visible signal of price trends that consumers see. Those changes show up right there at the pump and are impossible to miss. Changes in gasoline prices are not nearly as subtle as changing prices for food, the other consumer necessity that the Fed does not include in "core inflation."Consumer gasoline prices have reached a record high for this time of year when demand is usually slack. When consumer gasoline prices go up as they have, consumers are usually quick to...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.