World Perspectives

Deep Bench to Fight RFK; China Market Risk; Thankless Job

Deep Bench to Fight RFKBeing the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture is usually a pretty good job. It involves doling out billions of dollars, the constituency is dominated by courteous country people, and controversies tend to be minor. The person serving the longest in any Cabinet position was James “Tama Jim” Wilson at USDA for 16 years. Current USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will have served in the position for 12 years. Henry A. Wallace served as USDA chief for eight years before being elevated to Vice President. Officially, the position is mid-tier in the presidential line of succession. But it is technically oriented, and the weakest secretaries have been those ill-suited to the job. Per Dave Juday’s discussion of who might be the next US...

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Transportation and Export Report for 4 February 2025

U.S. grain transportation markets remain skewed by the impacts of cold weather and low water levels on the Mississippi River System, which have pushed spot CIF and FOB values sharply higher. Internationally, the recovery in ocean freight rates continues, with strong demand in the Atlantic while...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soybean Spillover Rides Another Day

There was high-volume trading in soybeans again today after hitting record levels yesterday. The enthusiasm carried over to corn and soymeal as well, and there was good volume trading in soyoil contracts. There is understandable skepticism that China would pay 80 cents/bushel more for U.S. soyb...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.35/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.3525/bushel, up $0.085 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $11.1225/bushel, up $0.2 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $303.2/short ton, up $7 from yeste...

Transportation and Export Report for 4 February 2025

U.S. grain transportation markets remain skewed by the impacts of cold weather and low water levels on the Mississippi River System, which have pushed spot CIF and FOB values sharply higher. Internationally, the recovery in ocean freight rates continues, with strong demand in the Atlantic while...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Soybean Spillover Rides Another Day

There was high-volume trading in soybeans again today after hitting record levels yesterday. The enthusiasm carried over to corn and soymeal as well, and there was good volume trading in soyoil contracts. There is understandable skepticism that China would pay 80 cents/bushel more for U.S. soyb...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.35/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.3525/bushel, up $0.085 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $11.1225/bushel, up $0.2 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $303.2/short ton, up $7 from yeste...

Rock, Paper, Scissors

Markets still do not know how to react to President Trump’s announcement that he has completed a trade deal with India. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says the details are being papered, or written up, now. The deal has sparked a transatlantic war of words, with Brussels mocking...

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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.

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