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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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2975/bushel, down $0.07 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.495/bushel, down $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.3625/bushel, down $0.1725 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $318.9/short ton, down $8...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2975/bushel, down $0.07 from yesterday's close.  Mar 26 Wheat closed at $5.495/bushel, down $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.3625/bushel, down $0.1725 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $318.9/short ton, down $8...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins strengthened for the fourth straight week and posted one of their largest weekly gains of the year. Margins rose $42/head to $57 as fed cattle prices slipped another $4/cwt and the cutout held near recent highs. The move pushed packer profits to their firmest levels since ea...

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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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