World Perspectives

A Beef with Beef; A Beef with COVID

A Beef with Beef Some U.S. senators are demanding that the Justice Department and USDA investigate why the spread between the cash and futures markets for cattle has become so wide. Instead of an investigation they could all just read WPI analysts Matt Herrington and Dave Juday as they have explained the situation in these markets. Moreover, since the delivery period on the April futures contract starts this Friday, the current $14/cwt difference will be cleared up faster than any government investigation. As Matt explains it, the whole bottleneck in the beef supply chain is the packing plant. One cannot run more head of cattle through that process than can be safely handled. The demand for beef spiked with consumer hording, forcing near-t...

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Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for January 30-February 5, 2026. Wheat: Net sales of 488,000 metric tons (MT) for 2025/2026 were up 31 percent from the previous week and 14 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 580,000 MT were up 44 percent from the previous week and 59 percent...

A Year in Review: Impact of Tariffs on Agricultural and Food Processing Machinery

We now have nearly a year of data to work with on the impact of the Trump Administration’s tariffs.  When they were first announced, there was quite a bit of conjecture and some sophisticated economic analysis about how trade flows would be impacted. This brief analysis will focus br...

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Market Commentary: Mixed But Steady with an Outside Surprise

The U.S. created more new jobs in January than expected, especially in healthcare. And there was more ethanol produced last week than the market expected. Soyoil hit a new contract high, but South American production continues to look quite substantial. The mixed news produced mixed results, bu...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for January 30-February 5, 2026. Wheat: Net sales of 488,000 metric tons (MT) for 2025/2026 were up 31 percent from the previous week and 14 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 580,000 MT were up 44 percent from the previous week and 59 percent...

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We now have nearly a year of data to work with on the impact of the Trump Administration’s tariffs.  When they were first announced, there was quite a bit of conjecture and some sophisticated economic analysis about how trade flows would be impacted. This brief analysis will focus br...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mixed But Steady with an Outside Surprise

The U.S. created more new jobs in January than expected, especially in healthcare. And there was more ethanol produced last week than the market expected. Soyoil hit a new contract high, but South American production continues to look quite substantial. The mixed news produced mixed results, bu...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins weakened further last week, with estimated net losses widening to -$247/head, extending the deterioration seen through late January. Boxed beef values were firmer last week, but gains failed to offset increases in fed cattle prices, resulting in additional margin compression...

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From WPI Consulting

Weighing in on strategic realignment

WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

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