Marco Trends March Economic Data Points to Effects of Stimulus and ASF In response to a sharp economic slowdown and the ongoing impact of the trade war with the U.S., China launched a series of stimulative measures at the end of 2018. After a tepid January and February, the country’s economy seems to have roared back to life, particularly on the consumer front. The central government’s approach has featured a combination of tax cuts, more relaxed bank lending and stepped-up infrastructure spending. While loosening credit appears to fly in the face Beijing’s desire to reform its shadow banking sector and limit the rise of nonperforming loans, the tightening that began in mid-2016 has had a disproportionate impact on small...
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.