World Perspectives
livestock

Arbitraging Energy

Food prices have increased but not as much as energy costs. The latest CPI data shows food at home increased year-on-year in April by 10.8 percent, and by even more for animal proteins. However, the cost of gasoline has jumped from $2.948/gallon in April 2021 to $4.213/gallon last month. U.S. energy costs are a third less than Japan’s, and only half as much as Germany’s. Energy is about 14 percent of U.S. agricultural production costs and likely a larger share in most countries, though it is substantially less a cost burden in Russia. Because shipping water is expensive and even more so when bunker oil prices are high, countries that produce food and extract its water using lower energy costs are more competitive in global mark...

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livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins improved sharply, with estimated net losses narrowing to -$111/head from -$206/head the prior week. The recovery was driven by another firming in the boxed beef cutout, which rose to $379.00/cwt, while fed cattle prices softened modestly on the week. Even with the improvemen...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.5375/bushel, down $0.0675 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.0325/bushel, down $0.135 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.9625/bushel, down $0.045 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $313.5/short ton, down...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Crude Oil Rally and Crash Drives Whipsaw CBOT Action

The massive rally in energy markets remains the primary story underpinning ag markets. Front-month crude oil futures ripped higher overnight and traded above $100/brl for the first time since July 2022 before scoring an overnight high just shy of $120/brl. That strength pulled ag markets &ndash...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins improved sharply, with estimated net losses narrowing to -$111/head from -$206/head the prior week. The recovery was driven by another firming in the boxed beef cutout, which rose to $379.00/cwt, while fed cattle prices softened modestly on the week. Even with the improvemen...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.5375/bushel, down $0.0675 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.0325/bushel, down $0.135 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.9625/bushel, down $0.045 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $313.5/short ton, down...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Crude Oil Rally and Crash Drives Whipsaw CBOT Action

The massive rally in energy markets remains the primary story underpinning ag markets. Front-month crude oil futures ripped higher overnight and traded above $100/brl for the first time since July 2022 before scoring an overnight high just shy of $120/brl. That strength pulled ag markets &ndash...

Process Standards as NTBs; Nazi Food

Process Standards as NTBs California’s Prop 12, which a House Agriculture Committee-passed farm bill is supposed to override, restricts the sale of pork and eggs in the state if not produced according to its restrictive standards. Such processing restrictions have long been used as nontar...

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From WPI Consulting

Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming

WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.

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