Bob Kohlmeyer and John Baize both wrote about the U.S. and world soybean situation this week. It is indeed fascinating, and it is almost a certainty that it will get even more interesting over the next several months. The fact is that soybeans (and other oilseeds as well) might find themselves in the same situation that wheat did back in 2007/08 when supplies got so tight there were legitimate concerns that someone someplace would be unable to cover their needs. Here are some things to consider in addition (or in conjunction) to what already has been said this week.We asked this question months ago: "How much demand is inelastic?" There are few substitutes for soybeans or soybean meal. Consumption didn't slow when prices were above $17 a...
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.