World Perspectives
livestock

Bye Bye Black Sheep

New Zealand famously is a country with more sheep than people, but the competition is slipping in favor of humans. The problem is the economics of wool, which is no longer an economically supportive coproduct. Wool is less needed in a warming world with many man-made alternative fibers, and landowners make more money converting grasslands to carbon credit paying forests.   Wool production in New Zealand and in the rest of the world is in decline. While sheep meat output in New Zealand declines along with that of wool, global sheep meat has been expanding. However, it is falling behind the expansion rate of competing animal proteins such as poultry meat. Lamb consumption has always had a smaller group of fans, based on historic ge...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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livestock

Turkey is a Turkey

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 24 Corn closed at $4.3025/bushel, up $0.03 from yesterday's close. Dec 24 Wheat closed at $5.525/bushel, up $0.0275 from yesterday's close. Jan 25 Soybeans closed at $9.905/bushel, down $0.08 from yesterday's close. Dec 24 Soymeal closed at $289.4/short ton, up $0.8 from yest...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soy Complex Falls on Brazilian Weather; Wheat Rises on Ukraine News

The Thanksgiving holiday isn’t until next week, but the CBOT is starting to feel like traders are taking their vacation time a little early. Trading volumes were muted on Wednesday and other than the KC wheat market and soyoil futures, none of the major ag markets made major technical moves. Ma...

livestock

Turkey is a Turkey

And we don’t mean Türkiye. Turkey can mean unsuccessful and the production and trade in the domesticated large bird called the turkey leaves much to be desired. It originated in North America and that is where it has mostly stayed. The U.S. produces about half the world’s turkey meat. U.S. and...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 24 Corn closed at $4.3025/bushel, up $0.03 from yesterday's close. Dec 24 Wheat closed at $5.525/bushel, up $0.0275 from yesterday's close. Jan 25 Soybeans closed at $9.905/bushel, down $0.08 from yesterday's close. Dec 24 Soymeal closed at $289.4/short ton, up $0.8 from yest...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Price Action Follows One of Two Factors

The CBOT saw distinctly mixed trade with price action being largely determined by one of two factors: either bullishness from Ukraine’s attack on interior Russia or bearishness from favorable weather in South America. Based solely upon that statement, you can probably figure out which markets d...

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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.

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