USDA's projections for world corn production and consumption in 2016/17 are similar in pattern to those for 2015/16. However, there is a wild card in that global outlook.The corn market has been overshadowed by the soybean and soymeal markets in recent weeks as the buildup of speculative long-side interest in those two commodities has received the headlines. Concern over Argentine soybean production and quality gave some reason for a rally in soybean futures that pushed CME soybean open interest to record levels. Commercial buying supported CME soymeal, and this was augmented by surging speculative interest in the soymeal contract at China’s Dalian Exchange where some almost unbelievable volume records have been set. Yet, the CME corn futur...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year. Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought c...
From WPI Consulting
Communicating importance of value-added products
Facing increasing pressure to quantify the value of export promotion efforts to investors, a U.S. industry organization retained WPI to develop a quantitative model that better communicated the importance of exports. The resulting model concluded that value-added meat exports contributed $0.45 cents per bushel to the price of corn, increasing support for that sector’s financial support of WPI’s client. In addition to serving the red meat industry with this type of analysis, WPI has generated similar deliverables for the U.S. soybean and poultry/egg industries.