World Perspectives
livestock

Livestock Roundup: Beef Overview

Little to no action has been reported in the cash markets and asking prices are back at $190/cwt and higher. Cattle supply numbers are tighter in the south than in the north, and carcass weights took a pause from the steep rise that has taken them to all-time highs this year. The latest report shows carcass weights at 924 pounds, down 2 pounds from the prior week but 30 pounds heavier than last year. The fed cattle weights (combined steer and heifer) can easily be influenced when the proportion of steers to heifers in the weekly slaughter changes. With considerable scrutiny on searching for signs of herd rebuilding and heifer retention, a drop in carcass weights would seem to signal heifers are still being marketed. Last week’s slaught...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.6725/bushel, up $0.0475 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9775/bushel, up $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7175/bushel, up $0.1675 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $319.8/short ton, down $2.6...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Demand Builds, Markets Await Confirmation

Key Market Developments Macro: Playing or Trading “Truth or Dare” We’ve entered the “truth or dare” phase of this market — where conviction takes a backseat and headlines drive direction. At any given moment, the narrative shifts: progress in negotiations on...

livestock

Early 2026 Projections of Cow-Calf Finances

Cow-calf margins hit all-time record highs in 2025 as the industry benefited from the downstream impacts of record-breaking beef demand and the smallest beef cattle herd in decades. As WPI readers will know well, the resulting supply crunch boosted cattle prices across the production landscape...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.6725/bushel, up $0.0475 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9775/bushel, up $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7175/bushel, up $0.1675 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $319.8/short ton, down $2.6...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Demand Builds, Markets Await Confirmation

Key Market Developments Macro: Playing or Trading “Truth or Dare” We’ve entered the “truth or dare” phase of this market — where conviction takes a backseat and headlines drive direction. At any given moment, the narrative shifts: progress in negotiations on...

livestock

Early 2026 Projections of Cow-Calf Finances

Cow-calf margins hit all-time record highs in 2025 as the industry benefited from the downstream impacts of record-breaking beef demand and the smallest beef cattle herd in decades. As WPI readers will know well, the resulting supply crunch boosted cattle prices across the production landscape...

Iran War Impacts; Trade Agreements

Iran War Impacts Confidence in the economy is often tied to partisan politics, with Democrats seeing green when they control the White House, and Republicans ready to invest when their party is in charge. War always creates uncertainty, but uncertainty does not determine the market. A famous gr...

Image
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.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up