Grain and soy prices were mixed overnight, having traded on both sides of Tuesday’s closes. As the early morning trading recess approached, wheat prices edged lower. However, soybean prices staying around the prior close in expectation that new large sales to China would be reported by USDA. Corn was stuck between those two markets and was slightly lower at the trading pause. The soybean market was not disappointed as USDA/FAS reported a sale of 1.199 MMT to China for 2018/19, bringing the total confirmed sales to slightly more than 2.4 MMT. Trade comments suggest that there is more business to be reported and that additional sales may have been negotiated today. In any case, the soybean market took a “buy the rumor, sell the n...
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.