The first six weeks of spring have been unusually cold and wet for most of the central U.S. Drenching rains together with the melting of an unusually deep snowpack have led to widespread flooding and saturated soils from the Delta north to the Dakotas and from the Plains east to the Atlantic Ocean. This has had a variety of impacts on crops and planting. The copious rainfall over the southern and central Plains has resulted in unusually high weekly condition ratings for the HRW crop. Overall, winter wheat was rated 64 percent good/excellent (G/E) by USDA as of 28 April. Ratings for HRW were relatively high with Oklahoma clocking an unusual 79 percent G/E. However, SRW in the mid-South and eastern Midwest is struggling with Missouri at 42 pe...
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.