Brazilian presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro promised continued land development whereas his challenger and the ultimate winner, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, promised to crack down on illegal deforestation. This does not mean agricultural area expansion stops, but it might slow down. The annual rate of expanding Brazilian land being used to harvest major crops has been 3.92 percent since 2000. During the past few years of the Bolsonaro government, it has expanded at a 4.38 percent rate. This contrasts with the expansion during Lula’s previous eight years as head of state during 2003 to 2010 of 1.89 percent. Yesterday’s win by Lula does not mean the end to expanded Brazilian area under production, but it mig...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Regional News Dry weather across the UK and Europe is becoming increasingly concerning for the 2027 crops as planting intentions are lowered amid dry soil conditions. Delayed sowing or establishment under adverse conditions could leave crops more vulnerable to frost/freeze events and dise...
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.