Some of USDA’s fresh numbers released in today's April WASDE were tilted more bearishly than analysts predicted, but none were extreme enough to cause a ripple. Now the focus quickly shifts to weather and spring planting. General Comments Taken in the abstract, USDA’s April WASDE was almost totally bearish. Even with the 2016/17 crop cycle well past the halfway point, USDA continues to increase 2016/17 world supplies of wheat, corn and soybeans while reducing some of the expected demand. Once again, there is the prospect of having record-large ending stocks of corn, wheat and soybeans – hardly a pretty prospect for grain and soy markets. Yet, corn and soybean futures prices treated it all with, shall we say, limited reaction. Corn f...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
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.