Soy and soy product futures prices were mostly firmer overnight as the market built on yesterday’s turnaround rally. Corn and wheat prices stayed nearer to yesterday’s closes. About the time of the trading recess, Chinese President Xi declared in a speech to the Spanish parliament that his country was prepared to both allow greater foreign investment and increase intellectual property rights protection – two of the key U.S. demands in the current trade dispute. This triggered a stronger day session rally by the soy complex as well as giving support to corn and wheat markets. Recent statements from Trump administration officials on the Chinese trade situation have blown hot and cold, but the market seized on President Xi&r...
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.