Today is the 2025 USDA Outlook Conference, a fitting time to look at commodity forecasts for the upcoming year. Below is USDA’s outlook for the livestock and products commodities. The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) cattle report was released on 31 January, showing the total of all cattle and calves on 1 January 2025 was estimated at 86.662 million head, about 500,000 fewer than the previous year. This marks the sixth year of contraction for aggregate beef and dairy cattle inventories and the 11th year overall of the current cattle cycle, which is the cyclical expansion and contraction of the national cattle herd over time. The cycle is influenced by the combined effects of cattle prices, input costs that drive c...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year. Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought c...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.