This year’s La Niña event has been categorized as historically a moderate one. The rains coming to parts of South America this weekend attest to it not being a historically strong event. However, this makes guessing its final impact on crops more challenging to assess. Another challenge is the fact that crop production has changed dramatically over the years, particularly in Brazil. The last moderate La Niña occurred in 2011/2012 when Brazil was not even considered by USDA to be a major producer/exporter of corn. If 2011/2012 is nonetheless considered an analog year, between the January and June WASDE reports in 2012, USDA reduced the Argentine corn crop by 5 MMT (-19 percent) but raised the Brazilian crop by 8 MM...
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.