It seems that the only potentially bullish market factor today is the slow pace of corn planting in the U.S. The possibility of significant delays that might lead to fewer corn acres and reduced yields hasn’t been enough to offset either the bearish numbers in this month’s WASDE (released 10 May) or the disappointment in the U.S./China trade talks. USDA used a U.S. 2019 average corn yield of 176 bushels/acre, less than 1 bushel/acre off the record 176.6 bushels/acre set in 2017 and the 176.4 bushels/acre yield of last year. Record corn yields seem to have become the norm in recent years. The average yield was just 123.2 bushels/acre in 2012 but grew to 158.2bushels/acre the following year. The MY 2019/20 corn ending suppl...
What You Need to Know Today: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured reelection on Sunday, defeating right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro despite trailing in the first round of voting. The surprise victory triggered a sharp selloff in Brazilian financial market...
The 2026 midterm elections are a week from tomorrow, but early voting has been taking place for weeks. At stake is control of Congress, including the House of Representatives, where all 435 seats are contested, and the Senate, where approximately one-third of the seats are up for election. Farm...
Key Takeaways: Total U.S. crop acres (excluding hay) are forecast to expand fractionally this year due to greater oilseed crop and winter wheat plantings. One of the key drivers of this year’s crop outlook is input costs, and crops with a lower cost profile have an advantage in producers...
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.