Overnight trading saw notably firmer prices with corn up 4 ¼ cents, soybeans up 5 ½ cents ,and SRW wheat up 8 cents. Forecasts for another heatwave across Europe (just as the region’s corn enters pollination and its spring wheat continues developing) were concerning, prompting higher trade. Higher European rapeseed futures pushed CBOT soybeans higher as well. Europe is looking at a heat wave that may break records, a situation that is hardly ideal for crop development. The day session saw some early strength in row crops, but demand-based selling pressure pushed corn and soybeans off the day’s highs. Trading was subdued overall with lack of fresh news and improved weather forecasts forcing trade to stay with...
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.