World Perspectives
livestock

Livestock Roundup: High Prices and China Persist

What a difference a year makes! No one will forget how out of balance cattle markets were in 2022 with margins steeply favoring the packer, while feedlots saw their margins shrink away into negative territory.  In fact, it was such a factor that we suffered through a year of misguided attempts to “fix” the market with all kinds of adjustments to cattle pricing.   However, in the past year, feedlot margins are up more than 1,300 percent, according to Sterling Beef Profit Tracker, going from $29.33/head in 2024 to $419.93/head last week. Last week’s highs were up from already high margins of $366.40/head the previous week and $278.73/head in mid-February. Packer margins, meanwhile, remained in the red with a -...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2075/bushel, down $0.1625 from yesterday's close.  Sep 25 Wheat closed at $5.485/bushel, down $0.0825 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.2075/bushel, down $0.285 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $285.9/short ton, down...

Trade Deadline Extended, Threats Sharpened; African Moves; WTO Reforms

Trade Deadline Extended, Threats Sharpened President Trump announced that the 9 July deadline for trade agreements with the U.S. to avoid reciprocal tariffs will be extended to 1 August. Eighteen countries are being targeted for trade negotiations, and a smaller subset received letters today on...

Skinny Farm Bill Left to Finish

President Trump said yesterday that the U.S. is nearing several new trade deals and that letters will be sent to trading partners by 9 July warning of increased tariffs set to take effect on 1 August. That announcement effectively extends the administration’s trade deadline from this week...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2075/bushel, down $0.1625 from yesterday's close.  Sep 25 Wheat closed at $5.485/bushel, down $0.0825 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.2075/bushel, down $0.285 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $285.9/short ton, down...

Trade Deadline Extended, Threats Sharpened; African Moves; WTO Reforms

Trade Deadline Extended, Threats Sharpened President Trump announced that the 9 July deadline for trade agreements with the U.S. to avoid reciprocal tariffs will be extended to 1 August. Eighteen countries are being targeted for trade negotiations, and a smaller subset received letters today on...

Skinny Farm Bill Left to Finish

President Trump said yesterday that the U.S. is nearing several new trade deals and that letters will be sent to trading partners by 9 July warning of increased tariffs set to take effect on 1 August. That announcement effectively extends the administration’s trade deadline from this week...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Mixed Day But a Strong Week, And More Ahead

It was the last trading day of a shorter trading week that provided lots of inputs. It started with the Acreage and Quarterly Stocks reports, which changed little but they did confirm expectations. Weather continues to point toward ample crop supplies. President Trump teased there is a trade de...

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From WPI Consulting

Illuminating the value of technical research

On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.

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