World Perspectives
livestock

Cattle Inventory Report: U.S. Cattle Herd Still in Contraction

USDA released its January Cattle Inventory report today. The U.S. cattle herd is still in a contraction phase.  The total inventory of all cattle and calves as of 1 January was 86.7 million head, down 500,000 head from last year. Key numbers from today’s report are: The cattle on feed estimate showed 87.2 percent on feedlots of 1,000 head or more capacity, slightly higher than last year.  The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, other heifers, plus steers over 500 pounds, representing the number of feeder cattle outside of feedlots, was 24.6 million head, just slightly below 1 January 2024. The 1 January number of feeder cattle outside of feedlots is the lowest since 2015. Feeder cattle outside feed lots make up 63 p...

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soy-oilseeds

Thailand Soy Tariffs Update

Thailand’s market is now officially reopened to soybean and soymeal imports as the government has resolved a lapse in tariff policy that caused import duties to default to prohibitively high levels earlier this month. On 27 January, the Thai Cabinet approved the continuation of its market...

Middle Power Potential; EU Mimics China

Middle Power Potential The provocation from President Trump is that the U.S. will no longer self-sacrifice to the needs of Europe and other beneficiaries. Once the shock of this watershed wears off, it should be seen as an opportunity by the middle powers to coalesce on their own. The early eff...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 28 January)

WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...

soy-oilseeds

Thailand Soy Tariffs Update

Thailand’s market is now officially reopened to soybean and soymeal imports as the government has resolved a lapse in tariff policy that caused import duties to default to prohibitively high levels earlier this month. On 27 January, the Thai Cabinet approved the continuation of its market...

Middle Power Potential; EU Mimics China

Middle Power Potential The provocation from President Trump is that the U.S. will no longer self-sacrifice to the needs of Europe and other beneficiaries. Once the shock of this watershed wears off, it should be seen as an opportunity by the middle powers to coalesce on their own. The early eff...

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livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins remained deeply negative, with estimated net losses at -$185/head, little changed from the prior week. Rising boxed beef values continued to lag gains in fed cattle prices, keeping gross margins compressed despite incremental support from carcass weights and drop values. Rel...

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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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