Platform Analysis A draft of the Democrats’ Party Platform for this year’s election repeats past policy promises for agriculture, most of which are either meaningless or hold the risk of unintended consequences. Small is Better: As in the past, the Party pledges “to better support [read subsidies] small- and mid-sized farms…” Most food is produced by large farms taking advantage of the principle of economies of scale. A full 97 percent of farms are family-owned, and the number of small farms is actually increasing. Small farms are typically supported by off-farm income and could be considered hobby farming. Increasing support to small, inefficient hobby operations will be subsidizing lifestyle choices,...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
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.