General Comments Weather model runs are consistent in picturing rain for the Northern Plains and parts of the Midwest from 8-11 September. North Dakota and Minnesota will likely see the heaviest amounts of up to 1 inch. Lesser but still significant amounts should fall in Iowa and Illinois. Other Midwestern areas should experience light rains, but probably not enough to be of much benefit to soybeans. The models are now calling for a period of colder temperatures over the Midwest around 20 September. Lows will reach the low 40s and high 30s over the Canadian Prairies and some portions of the northern U.S. Plains, but should hold above freezing.Soybean futures tried to recover from the beating they took in early overnight trading, but th...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: WPI’s new EU rapeseed crushing margin models point to weaker processing returns over the next four months due to higher rapeseed procurement costs and weaker product values. Statistical forecasts call for German crushing margins to decline from €181/MT to €...
Key Takeaways: The tariff burden rose sharply in 2025 and 2026: the effective rate on imports in HTS Chapters 1–24 increased from 1.53 percent in 2024 to 6.11 percent in 2025, before averaging 5.68 percent in January–August 2026. Headline rates tell only part of the story: exemptio...
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.