The CBOT was mostly higher on Wednesday, led by rallies in corn and wheat that broke their Friday (post-WASDE) highs. Milling wheat stocks are tightening around the world, fueling the rally, and little cash selling in the U.S. has allowed corn to rally easily. Soybeans were mixed but slightly higher as bearish fundamental news mixed with spillover buying from the grain markets. Higher crude oil futures helped buoy ag markets as well. Funds are thought to have secured 15,000 contracts of corn futures and 8,000 contracts of wheat along with 6,000 contracts of soybeans. A major theme of today’s trade was higher crude oil offering support to outside markets, including the CBOT. Crude oil rallied and traded over a short-term trendli...
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
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.