USDA’s Jan estimate for 2025/26 U.S. corn is for larger production and higher feed residual usage to result in greater ending stocks: Corn production is estimated at 17.0 billion bushels, up 269 million on a 0.5-bushel increase in yield to 186.5 bushels per acre and a 1.3-million acre rise in harvested area. The record crop in 2025 exceeds the prior high set in 2023 by 1.7 billion bushels or over 40 million tons. The world corn outlook for 2025/26 is for world coarse grain production to increase 14.8 million tons to 1.591 billion. Corn production in China is raised to a record 301.2 million tons based on the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Global corn stocks, at 290.9 million tons, are up 11.8 million...
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.