World Perspectives
livestock

Retail Economy: Prosperity versus Inflation

Much of the increase in food costs has been raw commodity price inflation that has generally started to reverse this year.Now is the time of the year when Christmas sales dominate economic news, and the recent National Retail Federation report will add some fuel to the fire that the economy is not growing. The Christmas season can account for up to 40 percent of all annual retail sales. Those sales from Thanksgiving Day (28 November) to the following Sunday (1 December) are down three percent from last year. Digging a bit deeper, however, finds that there are some significant offsetting data.First, the Christmas shopping season is shortened this year by almost a week and spans 26 days compared with 32 days last year. Second, Hanukkah starte...

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Transportation and Export Report - 13 February 2026

U.S. grain transportation markets are slowly recovering from the shocks of bitter cold weather and low water levels on the Mississippi River System and from the surge in export demand. The latter is also causing strong rallies in ocean freight markets, particularly in the Atlantic basin. With g...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: China Headlines and Technical Buying Lift CBOT

Key Market Developments Markets head into Friday’s CPI report expecting a 0.3 percent month-over-month increase in both headline and core inflation, keeping year-over-year readings near +2.5 percent. That matters — but perhaps not as much as it would have a few weeks ago. This week&...

Sovereignty and Competitiveness; USMCA Battle

Sovereignty and Competitiveness So-called food sovereignty has animated European politics for decades. Now there is AI sovereignty because English is annoying or a national security risk. Taxes, regulations, and fines are thrown at dominant foreign companies to the point that Bloomberg says som...

Transportation and Export Report - 13 February 2026

U.S. grain transportation markets are slowly recovering from the shocks of bitter cold weather and low water levels on the Mississippi River System and from the surge in export demand. The latter is also causing strong rallies in ocean freight markets, particularly in the Atlantic basin. With g...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: China Headlines and Technical Buying Lift CBOT

Key Market Developments Markets head into Friday’s CPI report expecting a 0.3 percent month-over-month increase in both headline and core inflation, keeping year-over-year readings near +2.5 percent. That matters — but perhaps not as much as it would have a few weeks ago. This week&...

Sovereignty and Competitiveness; USMCA Battle

Sovereignty and Competitiveness So-called food sovereignty has animated European politics for decades. Now there is AI sovereignty because English is annoying or a national security risk. Taxes, regulations, and fines are thrown at dominant foreign companies to the point that Bloomberg says som...

livestock

Livestock Round Up: Cattle Margins and Distribution

The recent February World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report forecast beef production to increase in 2026 due to greater slaughter of steers and heifers, increased cow slaughter, and heavier dressed weights, all of which will provide some relief to the beef market. Also, th...

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From WPI Consulting

Infrastructure investment due diligence

On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.

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