Response to Biotech Labeling: Legislation introduced by 10 U.S. senators (none from major farm states) would require labeling of foods produced with biotechnology. This is a terrific opportunity for farm state members of Congress to respond in kind. They should introduce a bill called the "Organic Right to Know Act," which would require all foods certified as organic to be labeled with the pesticides and other chemicals used in their production. Consumers have been misled into believing that organic crops are grown sans chemicals when in fact growers use rotenone, chlorine, copper sulfate, peracetic and boric acids, pyrethrum, etc.At the request of growers, the National Organic Board even lets them use antibiotics like streptomycin and te...
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.