As we wrote on 6 August, EPA issued its 2013 required volume obligations (RVOs) for biofuels under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and notified the market that volumes would be reduced in 2014. Here's a look at some hints that EPA gave on how the volume might be decreased.ConventionalThe 2014 scheduled amount of conventional ethanol is 14.4 billion gallons. EPA clearly indicates that it sees the blend wall at 13.2 billion gallons which is 10 percent of the projected 132 billion gallons of gasoline use. It sees very little opportunity for e-85 or e-15 in 2014. It is clear that EPA will reduce the conventional ethanol mandate but the question remains by how much.CellulosicEPA believes that there is a clear congressional intention that the...
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.