The CBOT posted another day of surprising between-holiday trade with multiple markets seeing above-average volume and scoring important technical developments. The major move for Friday’s trade came from soymeal, which boasted an upside breakout from a bull flag on the charts. The market quickly scored new contract highs and helped pull the soybean market higher as well. For soybeans, bull spreading and commercial participation was surprisingly active. The catalyst for the soymeal and soybean market’s rallies was updated (i.e., worsening) crop condition reports from Argentina. The corn market didn’t do much to end the week other than tentatively test trendline resistance but wheat futures fully reversed Thursday&rsq...
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.