World Perspectives

Input Costs Forecast to Rise, Led by Fertilizer

After rising sharply in 2022, input costs remain stubbornly high yet today. At the same time, the prices received for major crops like corn, soybeans and wheat have fallen by as much as 30 percent over the same period.   In response to these economic headwinds, Congress stepped up through the American Relief Act to provide financial relief through one-time economic assistance payments to farmers totaling $10 billion in addition to approximately $21 billion to help farmers recover from catastrophic natural disasters. Combined, more than $30 billion in ad hoc support is expected to be distributed to farmers and ranchers throughout 2025. Driven by this, and strong economic returns in the cattle sector where beef prices are up well ov...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2175/bushel, up $0.0525 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.1475/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.2375/bushel, up $0.1075 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $279.3/short ton, up $5.7 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Tweet Yields Another Rally and Perhaps a Floor

After yesterday’s charge forward in soybeans and a lower close in the overnight, optimists on a trade deal with China again took over and brought another higher close that this time infected both the corn and wheat markets. As stated in Matt’s adjacent analysis, this seems overwroug...

livestock

Livestock Roundup: Shutdown Affects Reports; Screwworm Drug Approved

The federal government has been shut down since midnight on Wednesday and various USDA reports have been suspended.  This includes some of the data typically reported in the Thursday livestock report, including slaughter data and livestock and poultry inventories.   USDA posted o...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2175/bushel, up $0.0525 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.1475/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.2375/bushel, up $0.1075 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $279.3/short ton, up $5.7 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Tweet Yields Another Rally and Perhaps a Floor

After yesterday’s charge forward in soybeans and a lower close in the overnight, optimists on a trade deal with China again took over and brought another higher close that this time infected both the corn and wheat markets. As stated in Matt’s adjacent analysis, this seems overwroug...

livestock

Livestock Roundup: Shutdown Affects Reports; Screwworm Drug Approved

The federal government has been shut down since midnight on Wednesday and various USDA reports have been suspended.  This includes some of the data typically reported in the Thursday livestock report, including slaughter data and livestock and poultry inventories.   USDA posted o...

soy-oilseeds

Can a Trade Deal Save U.S. 2025/26 Soybean Exports?

Wednesday’s headline in the ag markets was President Trump’s social media post that indicated soybeans will be on the agenda for his upcoming summit with President Xi. The news was the first significant acknowledgement by the administration since starting the trade war that it is ha...

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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.

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