Warmer winter weather last year and to date this year is driving higher-than-normal natural gas storage inventories despite demand from the power sector, and two developments may put even more of it on the market to the benefit of the agricultural and fertilizer sectors as well as others.Domestic natural gas production totaled about 73.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) for the first eight months of 2016, 1.3 Bcf/d less than during the same period last year. Nonetheless, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) indicates natural gas in storage reached a record 4,017 Bcf as of 4 November, and that total is now higher. Generally, inventories have been greater than the five-year average for 48 of the past 52 weeks and are currently u...
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.