With markets awaiting the May WASDE and USDA’s first comprehensive look at the 2025/26 crop balance sheets, many traders and analysts are looking for major fundamental developments that could influence the outlook. Regarding fundamental developments, the major grain and oilseed markets have seen the news cycle slow considerably over the past few weeks with the shock of the “Liberation Day” tariffs and subsequent trade war having largely worn off. Markets have priced these impacts into futures values already and are looking for the next big shock. On that front, they are finding little information with weather trends and planting progress remaining broadly favorable for the major producing regions and demand largely falling...
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.