World Perspectives
farm-inputs

USA Land Use Changes

The acres used for crops in the U.S. peaked in 1981 when farm income was low and farmers tried to make up for it by expanding production. The acres used for crops in 2022 was 14.7 percent fewer and the share of cropland successfully harvested had risen slightly to 85 percent. 

While the number of acres planted and then considered failed in production peaked during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930’s, failed acres in 2002 were the highest since 2002.

Notably, the number of acres double cropped has not increased with the higher crop values in recent years. The marginal returns may not offset the cost of inputs and soil sustainability. 

For similar reasons like the loss of nitrogen and soil moisture, the amount of summer...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Weather Pressures Grains; Crush Pace Boosts Soybeans

The CBOT managed to recover from a dramatic overnight plunge with soybeans leading the fight to put values back in the green. Most of the news coming out of the weekend was bearish – between larger Russian wheat crop projections, the advancing South American harvests, and generally favora...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.2625/bushel, down $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.3775/bushel, down $0.11 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $11.34/bushel, up $0.01 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $305.8/short ton, down $3.4 fr...

House Farm Bill Text Released

Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), released the text of the farm bill on Friday. Markup is scheduled for next week. Some key highlights are shown below.  Commodities: Directs reporting on dairy production expenses to ensure that producer costs ar...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Weather Pressures Grains; Crush Pace Boosts Soybeans

The CBOT managed to recover from a dramatic overnight plunge with soybeans leading the fight to put values back in the green. Most of the news coming out of the weekend was bearish – between larger Russian wheat crop projections, the advancing South American harvests, and generally favora...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 26 Corn closed at $4.2625/bushel, down $0.055 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.3775/bushel, down $0.11 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soybeans closed at $11.34/bushel, up $0.01 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Soymeal closed at $305.8/short ton, down $3.4 fr...

House Farm Bill Text Released

Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), released the text of the farm bill on Friday. Markup is scheduled for next week. Some key highlights are shown below.  Commodities: Directs reporting on dairy production expenses to ensure that producer costs ar...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

CFTC COT Report Analysis

The attached PDF offers graphical depiction and seasonal analysis of managed money and commercial traders' net position in key agricultural commodity markets. The data is, of course, taken from the CFTC's weekly Commitment of Traders report, using the futures only data. WPI recently completed a...

Image
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.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up