It was 19 degrees Fahrenheit in Fargo, North Dakota this morning and we are in the middle of a winter blizzard. All schools and many businesses closed. On the same date last year the high temperature was 78 degrees and there was no snow on the ground. Some golf courses opened this week last year. The low temperature forecast for the first "official" day of spring later this week is 15 degrees below zero. That is 30-40 degrees below normal. Ice was off regional lakes by late March last year, but it is still 2-3 feet thick today. There is no significant warm-up in sight. Last year we had the warmest winter on record and, of course, those of us who reside in the northern climes were welcoming global warming. This year (so far) has been very...
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.