Tee Up Warnings Learning that some Progressives in Congress want to amend crop insurance and increase conservation requirements, Ranking Member on the Senate Agriculture Committee John Boozman (R-Arkansas) had a message for them at last week’s hearing on Commodity Programs, Crop Insurance, and Credit in the Next Farm Bill. No way. Boozman pledged that crop insurance would not be tied to climate change or emissions reductions. USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie gave assurance that the Biden Administration’s approach is voluntary and incentives-based. Takes One to Know One Two environmental groups named Carbon Market Watch and the NewClimate Institute issued a report claiming that the...
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.