World Perspectives

Conglomerate Vision; Policy Confusion

Conglomerate Vision Agribusinesses are paying attention. They along with oil companies are being blamed for inflation via gouging. There is an effort to ramp up the trustbusters, provide taxpayer incubator funds (subsidies) for startup competitors, and now even invoke the war-time Defense Production Act to show action on making baby formula. Noting that 40 percent of U.S. baby formula was made by one plant in Michigan with a still yet to be determined problem for its shutdown, it is used as another example of why big is bad. Politicians not economists interpret that having 10 separate plants each making 10-percent of baby formula would somehow add competition and supply chain resiliency.  Some of this reputation for big is bad is ear...

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Market Commentary: Week of Turmoil, Uncertainty, but Not All Dark

There was little in terms of new fundamentals today, and on generally lower volume the board saw mixed trading and results. It was a big week for HRW as the acuity of the drought in the Southern Plains becomes clearer. Overall, the trends are as follows: It was the fourth week in a row lower f...

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Summary of Futures

May 25 Corn closed at $4.585/bushel, down $0.0675 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Wheat closed at $5.57/bushel, down $0.055 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.16/bushel, up $0.0525 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soymeal closed at $305.9/short ton, down $1.2 f...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 14 March)

Transportation and Freight Market Comments - 14 March 2025 By Matt Herrington Dry-Bulk Ocean Freight Dry-bulk markets were mostly sideways last week with neither buyers nor sellers wanting to make big moves amid the political and tariff uncertainty. The rapid changes to U.S. trade policy and ta...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Week of Turmoil, Uncertainty, but Not All Dark

There was little in terms of new fundamentals today, and on generally lower volume the board saw mixed trading and results. It was a big week for HRW as the acuity of the drought in the Southern Plains becomes clearer. Overall, the trends are as follows: It was the fourth week in a row lower f...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 25 Corn closed at $4.585/bushel, down $0.0675 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Wheat closed at $5.57/bushel, down $0.055 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.16/bushel, up $0.0525 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soymeal closed at $305.9/short ton, down $1.2 f...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 14 March)

Transportation and Freight Market Comments - 14 March 2025 By Matt Herrington Dry-Bulk Ocean Freight Dry-bulk markets were mostly sideways last week with neither buyers nor sellers wanting to make big moves amid the political and tariff uncertainty. The rapid changes to U.S. trade policy and ta...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds

CONAB Forecasts Record Soybean Production

Brazilian soybean farmers will reap an even bigger crop in the 2024/25 season than previously expected, according to forecasts released by the Brazilian crop agency CONAB yesterday.   Brazil's soybean crop, which farmers are harvesting now, is expected to total 167.37 MMT, about 1.3 M...

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From WPI Consulting

Illuminating the value of technical research

On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.

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