Three countries are expected to reduce their soybean planted areas in favor of other crops, but another is forecast to increase its production of the oilseed. Argentina Reduces Estimate of 2017 Soybean Crop Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture last week lowered its estimate for the 2017 soybean crop from 57 MMT to 55 MMT. This was based on a larger planted corn area at the expense of that planted to soybeans. USDA currently is estimating the Argentine soybean crop at 57.8 MMT. The ministry estimates Argentina produced 49.5 MMT of corn in 2017, up from its earlier forecast of 47.5 MMT.The move to a smaller soybean area and greater corn area is not surprising. Farmers had a substantial incentive to plant this way after President Macri elimi...
What You Need to Know Today: A third U.S. border crossing (Columbus, New Mexico) has reopened to Mexican cattle imports following nearly two years of restrictions related to New World screwworm. The reopening could gradually improve feeder cattle availability, although more than 60 confi...
Yesterday, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a new report of negotiated cash purchases of cattle under the mandatory price report. The report included Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. The goal of the report was to solve the confidentiality issues e...
Key Takeaways: U.S. soybean crushing began in 1911 and saw its most rapid expansion during the 1930s amid the broader agricultural and technology revolutions of the time. After peaking in the early 2000s, the soybean crushing industry went through a downturn as poor crush margins forced...
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.