The American approval of TPA shifts the international focus to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), but what are the implications of the former on the latter? TPA and TPP Prognosis Nancy Pelosi and this analyst must both eat some crow. After the U.S. House of Representatives last week resoundingly voted down a joint Trade Promotion Authority/Trade Adjustment Assistance (TPA/TAA bill), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) pronounced TPA dead; this analyst opined that more must change than just legislative procedure and suggested greater concessions on TAA. There were minor changes to TAA (remove Medicare cuts as the funding source, some language on trade remedies, a vote on Ex-Im and a few other bones). Truth be told, though,...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.