The overnight session saw grain and soy prices trade modestly higher in relatively slow action. However, after three days of higher closes, the markets paused and then turned lower during the day session. General Comments As if to echo yesterday's comments from the Fed about the improving U.S. economy, the Commerce Department today announced its initial reading shows that U.S. GDP grew 3.5 percent during the third quarter on an annualized basis. This number will likely be revised later, but it did exceed expectations. The annualized rate of core inflation was up 1.4 percent versus a 2 percent rate in the second quarter. The U.S. dollar index closed higher in response to the favorable GDP growth, and gold dropped below $1,200. Crude oil wa...
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.