In the U.S. the battle for planting area is between corn and soybeans but in Europe it appears to be between rapeseed and soybeans. In recent years, the area planted to rapeseed has been declining at the same time the soybean production area has doubled. Italy is the largest soybean producer within the EU, but German output has doubled in the past five year. The production area for soybeans in Canada has also been expanding but not at the expense of canola, which has also been enlarging. In the EU, producers receive on average a 10.5 percent price premium for rapeseed over soybeans. In Canada, the production cost of soybeans is 37 percent greater, and the marginal return over operating costs for canola is 13.4 percent better than soy...
Key Takeaways: The CME Group is launching new 90 percent Lean Beef and 50 percent Lean Beef futures and options contracts in July. There are five key factors that must be present in physical markets and futures contract specifications for futures contracts to become successful. The two l...
Russian Grain Markets: 29 June-3 July 2026 The new marketing season has officially begun in Russia, although bearish sentiment has been concentrated in the southern regions closest to the Black Sea ports, where export demand has been weakest. Delays in grain deliveries to inland elevators have...
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.