World Perspectives

Coercion Beholder; Down Under’s Demands

Coercion Beholder U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously said in a 1964 case that he could not define hard core pornography “But I know it when I see it.” The G-7 called for an end to boycotts of purchasing Japanese farm products, calling it a form of coercion. Meanwhile, the U.S. has ended AGOA benefits to Gabon, Niger, the Central African Republic, and Uganda. It didn’t like the governmental transition in the first two, and the anti-LGBTQ policies of the latter. China quit buying food from Japan, asserting concerns over nuclear contamination since the release of sea water from the Fukushima nuclear reactor. There is no actual identified radiation risk in Japanese food.  Meanwhile, the U.S. has struck a...

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Beef packer margins snapped a six-week string of losses and gained $73/head last week due to gains in beef prices and weaker fed cattle prices. Margis were still very weak by historical records (-$143/head) but at least started to trend in the right direction. Beef values are holding steady hea...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soybeans Surge on China Framework, Trade Deals; Cattle Bull Market Is Over

Trade agreements were the story of the day as the U.S. reached deals with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam and a framework for a U.S.-China agreement that could result in “substantial” purchases of U.S. soybeans. The latter statement came from U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessen...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2875/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.26/bushel, up $0.135 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.6725/bushel, up $0.255 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $298.2/short ton, up $4.1 from y...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins snapped a six-week string of losses and gained $73/head last week due to gains in beef prices and weaker fed cattle prices. Margis were still very weak by historical records (-$143/head) but at least started to trend in the right direction. Beef values are holding steady hea...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soybeans Surge on China Framework, Trade Deals; Cattle Bull Market Is Over

Trade agreements were the story of the day as the U.S. reached deals with Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam and a framework for a U.S.-China agreement that could result in “substantial” purchases of U.S. soybeans. The latter statement came from U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessen...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2875/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.26/bushel, up $0.135 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.6725/bushel, up $0.255 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $298.2/short ton, up $4.1 from y...

Minority Supplier; Trade “Agreements”

Minority Supplier Following negotiations with his Chinese counterparts over the weekend, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects China to revive substantial purchases of U.S. soybeans and to delay expanding its licensing requirement for rare earths. The Treasury lead claims to und...

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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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