World Perspectives
feed-grains

Smaller and Smaller Crops

The market adage that “big crops grow bigger” means that forecasts typically start out conservative, and a season that starts well typically ends well. The current betting is the opposite: small crops get smaller. The bears will recall that planting progress was unspectacular last year, and yet production surprised to the upside, mostly due to perfect weather. In 2009, the corn crop’s planting pace was 10 percent slower than the year before, but it produced yields that were 7 percent larger. A record 97 percent had been planted by week 20 in 2012 (see graph below), but drought caused the average yield to be substantially lower. All that said and ignoring total planted acres, the size of the corn crop correlates in most ye...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: China Headlines and Technical Buying Lift CBOT

Key Market Developments Markets head into Friday’s CPI report expecting a 0.3 percent month-over-month increase in both headline and core inflation, keeping year-over-year readings near +2.5 percent. That matters — but perhaps not as much as it would have a few weeks ago. This week&...

Sovereignty and Competitiveness; USMCA Battle

Sovereignty and Competitiveness So-called food sovereignty has animated European politics for decades. Now there is AI sovereignty because English is annoying or a national security risk. Taxes, regulations, and fines are thrown at dominant foreign companies to the point that Bloomberg says som...

livestock

Livestock Round Up: Cattle Margins and Distribution

The recent February World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report forecast beef production to increase in 2026 due to greater slaughter of steers and heifers, increased cow slaughter, and heavier dressed weights, all of which will provide some relief to the beef market. Also, th...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: China Headlines and Technical Buying Lift CBOT

Key Market Developments Markets head into Friday’s CPI report expecting a 0.3 percent month-over-month increase in both headline and core inflation, keeping year-over-year readings near +2.5 percent. That matters — but perhaps not as much as it would have a few weeks ago. This week&...

Sovereignty and Competitiveness; USMCA Battle

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livestock

Livestock Round Up: Cattle Margins and Distribution

The recent February World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report forecast beef production to increase in 2026 due to greater slaughter of steers and heifers, increased cow slaughter, and heavier dressed weights, all of which will provide some relief to the beef market. Also, th...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.3125/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.525/bushel, up $0.1525 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $11.3725/bushel, up $0.1325 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $307.9/short ton, up $4.9 fr...

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From WPI Consulting

Infrastructure investment due diligence

On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.

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