We previously reported that the Trump Administration EPA would likely “punt” on issuing the 2021 required volume obligations (RVOs) rule and leave it to the incoming Biden EPA. Specifically, we speculated that “a retroactive 2021 RVO would be issued next spring/summer” based on the history of the 2014-2015-2016 combined retroactive RVO. That now appears not to be the case. A proposed rule should come this month and be finalized in June. This means that the 2021 RVO would only be partially retroactive. The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), which is the regulatory arm of OMB, has updated the agenda for the EPA’s 20 pending rulemakings as of...
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.
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...