OPEC's announcement that it will not reduce production sent prices crashing lower, while U.S. financial markets were strong and again reached new highs. Agricultural commodity markets opened lower but turned higher in the first 15 minutes of the session, led by a rally in wheat. General Comments It was Black Friday across the U.S., which signals the official start of the holiday shopping season with massive sales and shoppers staying up all night to get the best deals. It was also the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, and markets are supposed to be quiet while everyone is out shopping. That certainly wasn't the case in some markets today, specifically crude oil. Oil plunged yesterday on the world market, and that fall continued when U.S...
What You Need to Know Today: Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans continued to accelerate, with USDA reporting another 558 KMT sold to China and 236 KMT to unknown destinations. Combined with sales announced Wednesday and Thursday, the latest purchases bring the three-day total to approximately...
Key Takeaways: With the fall calf run now upon us, producers are finally getting a glimpse of what their realized profits will be for 2026. Some producers may have already obtained a strong estimate of 2026 revenues, especially if calves were forward sold in, for example, the mid-summer...
As fall begins, wild migratory birds are starting their seasonal migration. That has the industry and government officials worried about the potential spread, again, of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Some members of Congress have called for the United States to be prepared for a pote...
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.