World Perspectives

The Day After

The political establishment in Washington is stunned following yesterday's rout by Donald Trump and the Republicans. The Democrats’ arch nemesis not only survived everything they threw at him, but he also took an increasing share of the minority voting block that they claimed as their own. It was an election for the ages and will be studied as an unforeseen watershed. Understanding its impacts on agriculture and trade will be WPI’s focus. The largest impact will be Mr. Trump’s pledge to impose large, broad-based tariffs on trading partners. A USDA study found that retaliatory tariffs lowered U.S. agricultural exports by $27 billion from mid-2018 when tariffs were initially imposed through the end of 2019. But the adverse impacts contin...

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Market Commentary: The Long-Run Draws Near

The CBOT markets were surprisingly insulated from a jump in crude oil that started the week. Crude oil futures rallied to $115/brl - their highest levels since the earliest days of the U.S.-Iran war - on rhetoric from the White House that signaled an escalation in the conflict. While the oil he...

Farmland Consolidation

Under the theory of economies of scale, the size of farms, like that of all industries, should increase over time due to improvements in productivity. Farmers themselves understand that the more land they farm, the greater their output and, thus, the larger their potential incomes. Government p...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.54/bushel, up $0.0175 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9525/bushel, down $0.03 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.6675/bushel, up $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $316.6/short ton, up $1.4 fro...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: The Long-Run Draws Near

The CBOT markets were surprisingly insulated from a jump in crude oil that started the week. Crude oil futures rallied to $115/brl - their highest levels since the earliest days of the U.S.-Iran war - on rhetoric from the White House that signaled an escalation in the conflict. While the oil he...

Farmland Consolidation

Under the theory of economies of scale, the size of farms, like that of all industries, should increase over time due to improvements in productivity. Farmers themselves understand that the more land they farm, the greater their output and, thus, the larger their potential incomes. Government p...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.54/bushel, up $0.0175 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9525/bushel, down $0.03 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.6675/bushel, up $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $316.6/short ton, up $1.4 fro...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

WPI Crop Progress and Conditions App (Updated 6 April)

Update for 6 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where ob...

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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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