World Perspectives
livestock

Trust the Politicians and the Media

Trust Politicians More than Scientists: David Kessler, a former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) writes in The New York Times that action must be taken on the use of antibiotics in livestock production. According to Kessler, there is "more than enough scientific evidence" to restrict their use. Meanwhile, Kessler criticizes the livestock industry's opposition to efforts by politicians to impose new restrictions on antibiotic use, but concedes himself "that not every lawmaker is as convinced as I am" as to the need for restrictions. Two questions: If there is more than enough scientific evidence, why aren't the scientists at his former agency taking action? Wouldn't that be dereliction of duty, malpractice or so...

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Market Commentary: CBOT Ends Mixed on Planting Pace, Weather, South American Outlook

The CBOT ended mixed on Tuesday as traders parsed through a slew of different data points. Perhaps the most influential news for the day was private crop analysts’ upward revisions to the Brazilian and Argentine corn crops, which combined with a strong start to planting the U.S. 2025 crop...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 25 Corn closed at $4.7575/bushel, down $0.06 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Wheat closed at $5.5025/bushel, down $0.02 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.35/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $299.5/short ton, down $0.8 fr...

livestock

HPAI Waning This Spring

In 2022 and 2023, most HPAI cases affected producers during the spring and fall. The years 2024 and 2025 were different, however. The bulk of cases occurred during the winter months. Between December 2024 and February 2025, approximately 53.7 million egg layers, turkeys, and broilers were culle...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: CBOT Ends Mixed on Planting Pace, Weather, South American Outlook

The CBOT ended mixed on Tuesday as traders parsed through a slew of different data points. Perhaps the most influential news for the day was private crop analysts’ upward revisions to the Brazilian and Argentine corn crops, which combined with a strong start to planting the U.S. 2025 crop...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 25 Corn closed at $4.7575/bushel, down $0.06 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Wheat closed at $5.5025/bushel, down $0.02 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.35/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Jul 25 Soymeal closed at $299.5/short ton, down $0.8 fr...

livestock

HPAI Waning This Spring

In 2022 and 2023, most HPAI cases affected producers during the spring and fall. The years 2024 and 2025 were different, however. The bulk of cases occurred during the winter months. Between December 2024 and February 2025, approximately 53.7 million egg layers, turkeys, and broilers were culle...

The Future of the U.S. – China Trade War

The Washington International Trade Association held a conference today entitled, Phase 2: The Art of the Deal with China. Experts included former USTR officials, the former head of the U.S.-China Business Council, a former Obama Administration trade official, and the illustrious Asia expert Wen...

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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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