UnCOOL Damage: The Canadian Pork Council released the results of its study proclaiming $500 million in damages annually as a result of the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling law (COOL). With an accumulated $2 billion in economic harm, the assertion is important in that it starts to make more clear the amount of trade retaliation coming from Canada and Mexico should the U.S. Congress fail to change the law by the May deadline imposed by the WTO. A change that observers of Congress' slow ways seem skeptical will be achieved.No Japan TPP: There is growing skepticism that the LDP government in Tokyo can overcome opposition within its ranks and move to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations. Too many of the current freshman c...
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.