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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wheat

WASDE Wheat - Dec 2025

USDA’s Dec 2025 estimate is that the 2025/26 season-average wheat price received by U.S. farmers will remain at $5.00 per bushel. Global wheat stocks rose 3.4 million tons to 274.9 million, mainly on increases for several exporting countries...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Corn Exports Hit Record; WASDE Little Changed for Soy, Wheat

The CBOT wasn’t expecting much from the December WASDE report and USDA delivered fully on those expectations. The headline numbers were the increase of corn exports to a record-breaking 3.2 Bbu and a commensurate reduction in ending stocks. Soybeans and wheat were left out of the balance...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.48/bushel, up $0.0425 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.345/bushel, down $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $10.8725/bushel, down $0.065 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soymeal closed at $301.3/short ton, down $5 f...

wheat

WASDE Wheat - Dec 2025

USDA’s Dec 2025 estimate is that the 2025/26 season-average wheat price received by U.S. farmers will remain at $5.00 per bushel. Global wheat stocks rose 3.4 million tons to 274.9 million, mainly on increases for several exporting countries...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Corn Exports Hit Record; WASDE Little Changed for Soy, Wheat

The CBOT wasn’t expecting much from the December WASDE report and USDA delivered fully on those expectations. The headline numbers were the increase of corn exports to a record-breaking 3.2 Bbu and a commensurate reduction in ending stocks. Soybeans and wheat were left out of the balance...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.48/bushel, up $0.0425 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.345/bushel, down $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $10.8725/bushel, down $0.065 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soymeal closed at $301.3/short ton, down $5 f...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

CFTC COT Report Analysis

The following tables/charts reflect the CFTC's latest data release, which covers traders' positions through 21 October. The data are, obviously, delayed due to the 40-day 2025 U.S. government shutdown. While the positions below likely have little influence on today's markets or fund positioning...

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From WPI Consulting

Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming

WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.

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