World Perspectives
livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

U.S. meat packer margins fell further last week as beef and, to a lesser extent pork, values contracted while animal procurement costs remain high. WPI’s models estimate beef packers lost $145/head last week, which is the second-largest weekly loss since our models began in 2010. Pork packers continue to see small but profitable margins and pork demand remains moderately strong and heavier carcass weights are adding to sellable product volumes. Cattle feeders saw placement margins fall last week as live cattle futures slipped lower and while feeder cattle prices remain high. Closeout margins from southern Plains feedlots also dipped on lower fed cattle prices and higher feeder cattle purchase and feed costs. The hog producer sector sa...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mixed Session and More Ahead

Corn and soybeans traded much the way they did in the overnight session, though wheat posted something of a reversal. There were flash sales of corn to Mexico and Colombia but no new soybeans sales, which was bearish.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is reportedly rising as a lead po...

soy-oilseeds

Soybean Crushing Margins Outlook for Q1 2025

With China back in the market for U.S. soybeans and soy product margins diverging from recent patterns, soybean crushing margins are again in a state of uncertainty. Volatility in CBOT board soybean crush margins has lessened over the past month with the soybean futures rally being almost equal...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.4725/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.4025/bushel, up $0.02 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.195/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soymeal closed at $311.2/short ton, down $0.1 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mixed Session and More Ahead

Corn and soybeans traded much the way they did in the overnight session, though wheat posted something of a reversal. There were flash sales of corn to Mexico and Colombia but no new soybeans sales, which was bearish.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is reportedly rising as a lead po...

soy-oilseeds

Soybean Crushing Margins Outlook for Q1 2025

With China back in the market for U.S. soybeans and soy product margins diverging from recent patterns, soybean crushing margins are again in a state of uncertainty. Volatility in CBOT board soybean crush margins has lessened over the past month with the soybean futures rally being almost equal...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.4725/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.4025/bushel, up $0.02 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.195/bushel, up $0.0375 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soymeal closed at $311.2/short ton, down $0.1 fr...

livestock

Livestock Round Up: Korea, Good News and Bad News for Beef

In January, Korea’s tariff on U.S. beef will drop to zero as laid out in a long schedule as part of the 2012 Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. Prior to the agreement it was 40 percent, in 2025 it was at 2.6 percent. Korea has been a growing market especially for premium cuts of beef, with...

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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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