Retroactive Biodiesel Blenders' Credits Congress and the White House ultimately worked out a legislative fix that avoided the fiscal cliff scheduled to take effect on 1 January. The agreement mostly raises more tax revenue through higher taxes on the wealthy, but does very little to reduce federal spending. By some accounts, the bill reduced spending by only $1 for each $45 in new tax revenue.Among the many tax loopholes and incentives included in the fiscal cliff agreement was the retroactive extension of the $1/gallon blenders' tax credit for biodiesel for 2012 and its extension through 2013. The biodiesel blenders' credit was part of the Senate tax extenders bill approved back in August. Apparently the White House insisted that the bi...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. weather is getting more attention this week as conditions vary greatly across the western, central, and eastern corn belts, with the different regions battling dryness and too much rain simultaneously. The ProFarmer Crop Tour began today in Indiana and Nebrask...
Key Takeaways: Argentina is on pace for a record corn crop and record exports in the current marketing year, with abundant supplies likely to keep the country highly competitive in global export markets. Argentina’s record exportable surplus is allowing it to offer highly competitive pri...
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.