CME grain and soy markets closed early today for the U.S. holiday and will not reopen until 9:30 a.m. (EDT) Thursday. They are often quite volatile on the first trading day following the 4th of July due to the importance of weather conditions and forecasts for the rest of the month as well as during the corn crop’s pollination period. Any changes to what had been expected before the holiday can cause a sharp and rapid market response. This year trade conflicts seem to have replaced weather as the market’s top concern of the moment (see today’s separate analysis). A last-minute reprieve from the tariffs that are to be imposed Friday by the U.S. and China would illicit a much sharper price reaction than a changing weather o...
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.