News Updates EGYPT UPDATE The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Egypt's change of power will have no effect on the financial institution's plans or support that it is working on for Egypt. The IMF discussions are moving ahead and the IMF looks forward to discussing the loan program and its requirement with the new president and his cabinet.A scientist in Egypt suggested that all major poultry production facilities in Egypt should be moved into the desert in order to avoid any exposure to avian influenza (AI). The idea behind this is that removing poultry production from urban areas will eliminate the risk of poultry-human infection, and that all factors of production can be better controlled in an isolated area. Five small deser...
What You Need to Know Today: Cattle futures extended their sharp selloff Friday as weakening cash cattle prices, deteriorating feedlot profitability, and reduced packer demand continued to weigh on the market. The inability of futures to sustain a rally following last week's bullish Cattle on...
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 €...
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.