The headline figures from the September WASDE were the U.S. corn and soybean yield and production figures, both of which were in line with expectations, and thus created the market’s ho-hum reaction. Somewhat lost in the day’s focus on primary crops, however, was the USDA’s updates for the vegoil markets, which will have profound implications for oilseed values and trade this year. Perhaps the headline figure for soyoil was that the USDA forecast world soyoil stocks to fall 1.8 percent versus their August forecast and stocks will be down 2.5 percent year-over-year. The reduction in global stocks comes despite predicted large increases in stocks for the top five largest producers (China, the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, a...
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.
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...