Pig Disease Spreading in the U.S. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has been spreading across the U.S. since earlier this month, according to health and government officials. The first case was diagnosed in mid-April. The strain is 99.4 percent similar to the strain found in China last year, which resulted in a loss of 1 million pigs. Older pigs aren't affected in the same manner as younger pigs -- though they do suffer symptoms that impact weight gain and can delay marketing by one to two weeks. Younger pigs face a mortality rate between 50-100 percent, which can wipe out a month's worth of pigs.The strain is not contagious for humans. Research studies are ongoing and include a new initiative from the National Pork Board. It is t...
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.