The surprise from USDA’s October WASDE (released last Thursday) was the reduction in the estimated U.S. national average corn yield from September’s 181.3 bushels/acre (BPA) to 180.7 BPA. It was not so much the amount of the change that was unexpected but rather the direction. Big crops get bigger, as the saying goes, and when the corn yield estimate rises from August to September, which it did this year, there is also most often another increase in October. However, this big crop did not get bigger. With acreage estimates unchanged, the October yield reduction took estimated production from 14.827 billion bushels in September to 14.778 billion bushels. In hindsight, the variability of harvest yield reports from producers in nea...
What You Need to Know Today: USDA reports are delayed until Tuesday due to the federal holiday on Monday. Over the weekend, President Trump announced a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Russia warmly welcomed and confirmed this ceasefire by conducting more strikes against Ukraine. Specific...
On Saturday, 10 October, at a campaign rally in Clarksville, Tennessee, President Trump said that the U.S. and Mexico would come to terms on a new trade deal, and he said Canada does not need to be part of the deal. Trump called the coming agreement with Mexico “great” but gave no d...
Key Takeaways: The United States has steadily lost global wheat export market share since the 1970s, falling from the world's leading exporter to a projected fifth place in 2026/27. The rapid expansion of Black Sea wheat exports, driven by improved productivity and export infrastructure, has r...
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.