World Perspectives

Technology Ignores Regulators; Two Records in One Year

Technology Ignores Regulators Perhaps as expected, EU member states failed to agree to the latest compromise language on allowing the development of new genomic techniques. Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a gene editing tool, seekRNA, that could provide higher accuracy and flexibility than CRISPR. A similar dynamic will play out in AI where governments will seek to control it, and especially delay its progress in competing countries, but progress does not wait for politicians. Two Records in One Year U.S. net farm income (adjusted for inflation) will drop to $116.1 billion in 2024, the largest single year percentage drop in income ever. The U.S. agricultural trade deficit will top a record $32 billion.&n...

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U.S. Cattle on Feed on Mar 1, 2026

U.S. Cattle on Feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.549 million head on March 1, 2026 – similar to  the year-ago total on March 1, 2025 of 11.577 head.  Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.61 million head - 4 percent above 2025.  Mark...

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CFTC COT Report Analysis

Friday’s CFTC report showed funds further expanding long positions across the major ag futures contracts for the ninth straight week. Funds added 32,000 contracts (3.8 percent) to their all-ags net long position – a much smaller effort than the prior week’s 244,000-contract bu...

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Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.655/bushel, down $0.0425 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9525/bushel, down $0.1275 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.6125/bushel, down $0.0725 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $328/short ton, down $...

livestock

U.S. Cattle on Feed on Mar 1, 2026

U.S. Cattle on Feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.549 million head on March 1, 2026 – similar to  the year-ago total on March 1, 2025 of 11.577 head.  Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.61 million head - 4 percent above 2025.  Mark...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

CFTC COT Report Analysis

Friday’s CFTC report showed funds further expanding long positions across the major ag futures contracts for the ninth straight week. Funds added 32,000 contracts (3.8 percent) to their all-ags net long position – a much smaller effort than the prior week’s 244,000-contract bu...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.655/bushel, down $0.0425 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9525/bushel, down $0.1275 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.6125/bushel, down $0.0725 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $328/short ton, down $...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Pragmatic Escape Ahead of Weekend

On Monday of this week, traders were met with limit-down losses in soybeans, plus double-digit losses in corn, soymeal, and wheat. For many, it didn’t feel good. The war in Iran presented surprises, including the postponement of a Trump-Xi meeting expected to sell some soybeans. Fundament...

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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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