World Perspectives

Tyson Plant Fire Sparks Populism

One thing which certainly has been sparked by the fire at the Tyson meatpacking plant in Kansas is the age old producer versus packer tensions among more populist producers.  A social media campaign started last week in response to the market data since the 9 August fire. Packer margins shot up after the fire, driven by retailers booking purchases and driving up the price of boxed beef while the fed cattle market suffered from oversupply versus capacity to process them. Much of the effort is centered on a social media blitz using the hashtag #FairCattleMarkets. The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is involved. The group has been at the forefront of efforts to end the Beef Checkoff in the past, as well as supporting the origi...

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Sugar Supply and Demand Situation

Mexico’s 2025/26 sugar production is estimated to be 5.024 million MT, reflecting about a 6 percent increase from 4.7 million MT after the past two years of weather-affected output, including both persistent drought and ill-timed rains. Nonetheless, production remains near the low end com...

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livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins reversed sharply to -$17/head from $120/head the prior week, as rising fed cattle prices more than offset a modest decline in the Choice cutout. Fed cattle prices increased $12.92/cwt from the prior week while the cutout slipped $3.24/cwt, compressing gross margins and pushi...

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From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

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