Research and Analysis

Informa Economics offers a comprehensive package of well-respected, timely and highly detailed commodity market information.  The focus is on US and world acreage and crop production, supply and demand estimates, price outlooks, transportation and storage projections, weather forecasts, agricultural policy, farm programs and long-term agribusiness trends.  The scope of this work covers the following commodities:

 

All Major Grains, Oilseeds and Products, Cotton and Fibers Research underpinned by a thorough understanding of production and usage for the US and the world, with fundamental factors incorporated into analysis and price forecasts. US and world production forecasts based on our well-respected survey of acreage and yields. Production prospects in other countries assessed through travel by Informa Economics personnel and extensive contacts around the world. Informa Economics’ demand forecasts based on domestic consumption by individual countries, then expanded into detailed projections of trade flows. Informa Economics Producer Services Individualized research-based strategy and decision support system. Price risk management and hedging strategies. Daily market commentary via email and/or fax. Access to crop analysts. Daily weather reports. Monitoring of government programs and world events. (Click here for Informa Economics Producer Services Area) Livestock, Meat, Poultry and Dairy Detailed analysis on industry structure and profitability at all levels of the vertical supply chain. Analysis and projections on sectoral supplies, trade, demand and prices covering cattle and beef products, hogs and pork, broilers and chicken parts and turkey. Dairy Group specialized in project consulting and retainer client activities. Expertise in commodity forecasts; strategic planning; hedging and risk management programs; farm policy analysis; international business planning; and competitive cost analysis. Packer Contract Evaluation Service - Due diligence for any long-term marketing agreement, especially designed for hog producers. MarginQuest® Customized decision support for livestock producers. Detailed analysis of current trends in the vertical supply chain for pork/beef. Fundamental analysis on corn and soybean meal markets. Supply/demand/price analysis of the hog/cattle markets, with an active and ongoing assessment of the opportunities to manage margin. Tailored recommendations based upon an assessment of your unique situation . Assistance in developing and implementing a customized strategy for input and output hedges. Soft Commodities Complete fundamental supply/demand analysis for world and domestic sugar, corn sweeteners, cocoa beans and products, and shell eggs and products. Monthly outlook reports with analysis on factors that influence cash and futures price direction. Client service, including regular market updates, quarterly meetings with pricing strategy discussions and customized risk management plans for specific business operations. Specialty Vegetable Oils Fundamental supply/demand analysis and price forecasting for lauric oils, specifically coconut and palm kernel oil. Bi-monthly outlook reports providing production estimates for major countries, such as the Philippines and Malaysia, with balance sheet estimates and cash market forecasts. Client service available through regular telephone contact and quarterly meetings. Transportation Services *  Grain Transportation Service Weekly transportation updates — modal (barge, rail, truck, and ocean). Updates on industry developments, infrastructure issues, current fleet and rate situation and grain movements, and crop developments. Monthly transportation outlooks — fundamental and regional grain flow analysis. Rotating barge, rail, export, and general crop supply and disappearance outlooks. Timely modal share and grain flow assessments. Special studies of the latest issues affecting agricultural transportation. Regular and tailor-designed transportation services. Please visit our Transportation Area for additional products and services.... Weather Services Weather developments monitored 24 hours a day at over 600 worldwide stations. Up-to-the-minute interpretations and forecasts for US and world cropping regions. Agro-meteorologist, staff and equipment located inhouse at Informa Economics Memphis. Frequent and timely information, bulletins and reports on critical events such as El Niño, Indian monsoons and droughts. Informa Economics Morning Comments A daily briefing of factors and events important to the commodity markets, including: US and world crop situations and production outlooks. Supply/demand analysis. Price outlooks. Domestic and international agricultural and trade policy developments. Weather outlooks. Livestock market conditions. Long-Term Forecasting Customized reviews of the five-year world grain and oilseed fundamental outlooks. Special focus on aggregated developments for acreage, production, consumption and trade. Comprehensive long-term projections for the 13 major producing and consuming countries/regions of the world. Custom-designed outlook projections and studies. Washington Quarterly Agribusiness Review A comprehensive review and outlook for the year ahead in US agriculture and agribusiness. A global economic perspective and analysis of the overall macroeconomic operating environment, including a look at GDP growth, inflation, wages, unemployment, interest rates and financial markets. A focus on over 20 subsectors of the food and agriculture industry. The format is custom-designed with the content developed cooperatively with clients and with access to Informa Economics staff and analysts to respond to specific questions and provide background information. Informa Economics Data Services (IEData) IEData is one of the most comprehensive agricultural databases available today. IEData is a full-featured, network-ready database manager designed specifically for time series data. Specially created add-ins access the data without leaving the spreadsheet environment. Instant access to thousands of different data series, from daily cash prices to worldwide supply and demand estimates. Futures Implied Pricing (FIP) System for Beef and Pork An Internet-based application for pricing beef and pork items. Accessible from any computer at any location using an ordinary web browser. All pricing derived from real-time futures quotes, updated instantly. A complete tool to support hedging activities involving beef and pork items. An important source of information in forward price negotiations. (Click here to view FIP Introduction and FAQ) In all of the service components described above, the Informa Economics team strives, on behalf of our clients, to bring these information services to bear directly on important business and policy decisions. Informa Economics coordinates its research and client service personnel to make its information "real" and "actionable." The Informa Economics goal, with every client, is to establish sustainable benefits that more than exceed the cost of our services.