World Perspectives
feed-grains

El Niño Sparks Corn Demand

Corn production in Sub-Saharan Africa has been volatile for decades but when technology and investment should have been making it less so, it has instead gotten worse.  This year’s El Niño has helped make a bad situation worse. USAID’s Famine Early Warning System Network identified the problem many months ago when rainfall during December- February, the normally peak precipitation months, was underwhelming. The agency predicted “crisis level” food aid requirements in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar.  South Africa has had to import white corn for the first time since 2017, and Zambia’s corn crop was down by 50 percent and could require 1 MMT in imports. The situation could rev...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Exports, Conflict, Dry Weather Boost CBOT Before Holiday

The CBOT was mostly higher before the Christmas holiday with grains in the lead, though with each market seeing a different fundamental driver. Wheat futures rallied on the once-again-escalating tensions in the Black Sea and dry weather in the U.S. southern plains that has left the wheat crop v...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 24 December)

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”...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.51/bushel, up $0.035 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.2175/bushel, up $0.0475 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $10.6325/bushel, up $0.1175 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $308.1/short ton, up $3.9 from...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Exports, Conflict, Dry Weather Boost CBOT Before Holiday

The CBOT was mostly higher before the Christmas holiday with grains in the lead, though with each market seeing a different fundamental driver. Wheat futures rallied on the once-again-escalating tensions in the Black Sea and dry weather in the U.S. southern plains that has left the wheat crop v...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 24 December)

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”...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.51/bushel, up $0.035 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.2175/bushel, up $0.0475 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $10.6325/bushel, up $0.1175 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $308.1/short ton, up $3.9 from...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Black Sea Regional Analysis

Russian Grains Market: 15–19 December 2025 Russia’s grain markets remained stable and bearish, with weak domestic and export demand limiting price gains. Trade activity was slow, and a strong ruble prompted the government to maintain export duties. Global wheat supply remains ample,...

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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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