Fiscal Cliff: Maytagged But Not Ended The fiscal cliff will be breeched. This is inevitable given that politicians in Washington during these final days are sparring in a blame game rather than an end game. This is occurring because it is not actually a cliff. For whitewater kayakers, one gets "ended" when one end of the boat goes straight down, leaving the vessel vertical and stationary in the water. Instead, the politicians are likely to get "maytagged," meaning they will be thrashed about in rough waters over the next few weeks, like being inside a clothes washing machine. At this juncture, there is no perceived path past the two parties' philosophical thresholds. Democrats know that Republicans will be under immense pressure and rece...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed with Capesize rates seeing solid gains while Panamax values slipped on a growing tonnage list. Supramax and Handysize vessels were stronger, though all sectors remain vulnerable to the seasonal dip in rates through Q4 and into Q1. Falling water l...
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...
Key Takeaways: India is excluding sugarcane juice, sugar syrup, and B-heavy molasses from its 2026/27 fuel ethanol procurement program to protect domestic sugar supplies, potentially shifting additional demand toward corn and rice. India’s corn consumption for ethanol has surged from jus...
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.