Brazilian fertilizer companies are being challenged this year by a shortage of trucks amidst rising demand. This has driven up the cost of transporting the goods by about 35 percent and doubled it for some routes. However, this is benefitting one group. Stats Canada’s Surprising August Canola Crop Estimate Statistics Canada today released its August crop forecast, surprising analysts surveyed by Reuters with a canola crop estimate of 17.024 MMT (versus last year’s 17.231) that was below their average of 18.1 MMT. One analyst contacted by the news agency indicated the smaller crop was a result of uneven canola germination this year. That variability has caused problems with pesticide applications, which led to an increase in outbreaks of s...
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.