Friday’s CBOT trade was driven by a combination of end-of-month profit taking, volatile macro-markets, slow export demand, and news of new African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks in China. The latter item sparked a 5 percent decline in Dalian soymeal futures, the market’s steepest decline in eight years. In turn, that pressured CBOT soymeal and soybeans and sparked a broader selloff in ag commodities. Corn, soybeans, wheat, cattle, and hog futures all posted losses for the day. Funds are thought to have sold 14,000 contracts of soybeans, and 10,000 contracts of corn along with 8,500 contracts of wheat. Funds are thought to have also been modest net sellers in soymeal and soyoil. This week’s CFTC data shows that, through...
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.