The CBOT saw mixed trade on Wednesday with wheat futures seeing the most interesting trade as they posted double-digit losses amid weak European markets and the threats posed by the Canadian railway strike. In contrast, soybeans scored another higher close with support coming from soyoil’s rally and another day of large new crop export sales to China. Corn futures were caught in the middle with crop tour projections for large yields this year seeing offsetting influences from strong ethanol and export demand. Funds were net buyers in the soy complex and are slowly (but half-heartedly) paring back their short position there while remaining flat corn for the day (and therefore still deeply short overall). Managed money traders were net...
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.