World Perspectives
livestock

Labor Situation and Livestock

Tomorrow, USDA releases its monthly WASDE report. Last month’s report projected red meat and poultry production in 2021 to be 100.7 percent of 2020. Beef was projected to be 101.8 percent and broilers 100.5 percent, with a slight reduction in pork at 99.9 percent from its record in 2020. Slaughter and meat production are well above last year’s levels, but that is because last year at this time it was the height of the packing plant disruptions; heavier weights later in the year helped bring production back to normal. But with high feed costs, there’s not much incentive for heavier slaughter weights.  Much of the outlook will come down to pace of slaughter; implicit in that projection is the impact of labor. Indeed, t...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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May 26 Corn closed at $4.49/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.98/bushel, up $0.0275 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5825/bushel, down $0.085 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $311.8/short ton, down $4.8 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Risk is Priced In — But Not Yet Believed

Key Market Developments Macro/Geopolitics:  Markets are staring down a deadline tonight as President Donald Trump pushes Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8:00 PM Eastern. So far, Iran has rejected the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal — reportedly delivered through Pakistan &mdash...

Sugar Supply and Demand Situation

Mexico’s 2025/26 sugar production is estimated to be 5.024 million MT, reflecting about a 6 percent increase from 4.7 million MT after the past two years of weather-affected output, including both persistent drought and ill-timed rains. Nonetheless, production remains near the low end com...

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Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.49/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.98/bushel, up $0.0275 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5825/bushel, down $0.085 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $311.8/short ton, down $4.8 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Risk is Priced In — But Not Yet Believed

Key Market Developments Macro/Geopolitics:  Markets are staring down a deadline tonight as President Donald Trump pushes Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8:00 PM Eastern. So far, Iran has rejected the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal — reportedly delivered through Pakistan &mdash...

Sugar Supply and Demand Situation

Mexico’s 2025/26 sugar production is estimated to be 5.024 million MT, reflecting about a 6 percent increase from 4.7 million MT after the past two years of weather-affected output, including both persistent drought and ill-timed rains. Nonetheless, production remains near the low end com...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins reversed sharply to -$17/head from $120/head the prior week, as rising fed cattle prices more than offset a modest decline in the Choice cutout. Fed cattle prices increased $12.92/cwt from the prior week while the cutout slipped $3.24/cwt, compressing gross margins and pushi...

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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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