Without doubt, import safeguards, as practiced by many countries, are a frustration for the world's food exporters. Some of that frustration compelled USTR-Designee Michael Froman to concede to senators that he will look into a possible dispute settlement case against Russia for its ban on meat produced with internationally approved feed additives. One food segment that is particularly damaged by nefarious import restrictions is perishable products, since their value quickly declines before they can be redirected in the global market. Some WTO members are seeking near-term agreement on a mechanism that would limit restrictive import actions and allow products to be orderly marketed. However, their quest is highly in doubt because the active...
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...
Unlike the 2022 fertilizer shock, today’s disruption is rooted less in rerouted trade flows and more in damaged production capacity, raw material constraints and uncertain recovery timelines. That makes this a longer-duration risk for U.S. agricultural producers and retailers who must sec...
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.