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...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Gain on Black Sea Tensions; Cattle Extend Rally

The CBOT initially looked set for a quiet day of post-holiday trade on Tuesday, but that was before Russian President Putin elevated political tensions in the Black Sea region. Putin threatened to increase attacks on Ukraine in response to Ukraine’s recent attacks on Russian tanker vessel...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.5/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.41/bushel, up $0.06 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.2475/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soymeal closed at $311.6/short ton, down $3 from yes...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins surged for a fourth consecutive week, jumping $108/head to $228 and marking the strongest profitability in more than two years. Margins rose on the combination of a $5.88/cwt decline in live cattle and an $13.20/cwt drop in dressed cattle prices, while the Choice cutout ease...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Gain on Black Sea Tensions; Cattle Extend Rally

The CBOT initially looked set for a quiet day of post-holiday trade on Tuesday, but that was before Russian President Putin elevated political tensions in the Black Sea region. Putin threatened to increase attacks on Ukraine in response to Ukraine’s recent attacks on Russian tanker vessel...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.5/bushel, up $0.05 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.41/bushel, up $0.06 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.2475/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soymeal closed at $311.6/short ton, down $3 from yes...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins surged for a fourth consecutive week, jumping $108/head to $228 and marking the strongest profitability in more than two years. Margins rose on the combination of a $5.88/cwt decline in live cattle and an $13.20/cwt drop in dressed cattle prices, while the Choice cutout ease...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Snow Falls Across Midwest, Commodities Fall Across CBOT

The U.S. Midwest received heavy snowfall this weekend and as snowflakes drifted lower so – apparently – did CBOT traders’ sentiments. The ag markets were almost entirely on the defensive to start the last month of the year with soyoil being the only major market to see meaning...

Image
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.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up