World Perspectives

Staying in Lanes; Goodbye Ag; East-West Helps the Poor

Staying in Lanes Under ideal governance, elected legislatures create the principles of public policy. For example, pesticides should be used when proven scientifically safe and banned when proven harmful. Regulators then implement those principles using expertise uniquely held by impartial experts. Politicians come under career ending pressure from activists and voters in a manner not experienced by career scientists. Politics led to a ban on the sweeteners cyclamate and saccharin many decades ago based on junk science and politics, and were subsequently shown to not cause cancer. Now Congressman Bennie Thompson (R-Mississippi) says Republicans will work to allow pesticides banned by the U.S. Environmental protection Agency. Not because Co...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Fall on Weather, Strong Dollar; Cattle Surge on Inventory Numbers

The CBOT turned lower to start the week with some of the profit-taking that defined Friday’s end-of-month trade continuing into the first day of February. Also pressuring grain futures was an improved forecast for Argentina, a surge in the U.S. dollar, and sharply lower energy markets. Th...

India’s Catbird Seat; Targeting Cuba; Good and Bad GMOs

India’s Catbird Seat China is a state-run economy with formidable output, utilizing abundant, lower-cost labor. India is a democracy with a massive low-cost labor pool and countless restrictions on imports. The EU and now the U.S. have completed very different trade agreements with India,...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.2575/bushel, down $0.025 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.2775/bushel, down $0.1025 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $10.6025/bushel, down $0.04 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $294.5/short ton, up $0...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Grains Fall on Weather, Strong Dollar; Cattle Surge on Inventory Numbers

The CBOT turned lower to start the week with some of the profit-taking that defined Friday’s end-of-month trade continuing into the first day of February. Also pressuring grain futures was an improved forecast for Argentina, a surge in the U.S. dollar, and sharply lower energy markets. Th...

India’s Catbird Seat; Targeting Cuba; Good and Bad GMOs

India’s Catbird Seat China is a state-run economy with formidable output, utilizing abundant, lower-cost labor. India is a democracy with a massive low-cost labor pool and countless restrictions on imports. The EU and now the U.S. have completed very different trade agreements with India,...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.2575/bushel, down $0.025 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.2775/bushel, down $0.1025 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $10.6025/bushel, down $0.04 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $294.5/short ton, up $0...

livestock

Meat Producer Price Index

Wholesale meat prices fell across the board in December, seasonally adjusted, according to Producer Price Index (PPI) data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The overall PPI for final demand, which measures the end stage of production, rose 0.5 percent last month, driven by high...

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From WPI Consulting

Weighing in on strategic realignment

WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

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