World Perspectives

Christmas Eve Policy Potpourri

Ship Subsidies: The SHIPS for America Act has been introduced in the U.S. Congress and is intended to boost the number of U.S. built ships. Currently, China builds over half the world’s ships, and over 90 percent are constructed in just three countries (China, South Korea, Japan). The U.S. builds just 0.1 percent of the world’s fleet. The Jones Act requires that half of American food aid be moved on U.S. flagged vessels. This reduces the amount of food aid because more money is spent on transport. The SHIPS act would give subsidies to agricultural exporters to offset higher shipping costs.Sliver of Truth: One outcome of the Trump era is the acknowledgement that there is always a sliver of truth. Economists generally think tariffs are distor...

Related Articles
livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins weakened further, with estimated net losses widening to -$233/head. While boxed beef values continued to firm, gains were outpaced by higher fed cattle prices, pressuring gross margins despite stable carcass weights and drop values. Packer profitability remains well below se...

Herrington Becomes President of World Perspectives, Inc.

Washington, DC—World Perspectives, Inc. (WPI) is a leading agricultural market analysis and consulting firm making a leadership transition marking an important milestone in the firm’s development. After years of distinguished service as President & CEO, Gary Blumenthal has stepp...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soybeans Surge as Trumps Says China in for Another 8 MMT

There are days in the commodity markets when it feels like nothing is happening in any market, and then there are days when it feels like everything is happening in every market. Today was one of the latter days.  The big headline in ag trade Wednesday was the soybean futures and broader s...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins weakened further, with estimated net losses widening to -$233/head. While boxed beef values continued to firm, gains were outpaced by higher fed cattle prices, pressuring gross margins despite stable carcass weights and drop values. Packer profitability remains well below se...

Herrington Becomes President of World Perspectives, Inc.

Washington, DC—World Perspectives, Inc. (WPI) is a leading agricultural market analysis and consulting firm making a leadership transition marking an important milestone in the firm’s development. After years of distinguished service as President & CEO, Gary Blumenthal has stepp...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soybeans Surge as Trumps Says China in for Another 8 MMT

There are days in the commodity markets when it feels like nothing is happening in any market, and then there are days when it feels like everything is happening in every market. Today was one of the latter days.  The big headline in ag trade Wednesday was the soybean futures and broader s...

Disingenuous Ag Letter

Leaders of the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees received a letter (See Attached) yesterday from more than two dozen “former” private sector leaders of the American agriculture sector. Many previously represented farmers who have been staunch supporters of President Trump...

Image
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.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up