China's Soybean Imports Almost Certain to Decline It is becoming increasingly clear that China's soybean imports in the current marketing year will be lower than imports from a year ago because of the effects of the avian flu outbreak. Consumers have sharply reduced their consumption of chicken meal since the flu outbreak in China, and demand for soymeal has declined as a result.A group from the U.S. Soybean Export Council was at an event in Shanghai this week attended by officials from the soybean processing and animal feed sectors. They learned from local feed millers that demand for animal feed in the Shanghai area is down by about 30 percent and that animal production is being sharply reduced. It is not clear if other parts of the co...
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.