USDA released the monthly Cattle on Feed report today, which was mostly in line with pre-report expectations; only placements came outside of the consensus forecast. 10252024dj.jpg 50.4 KBSeptember marks the beginning of the fall run for cattle placements. Placements last month at 2.156 million head were 176,000 head more than August, and above the pre-report expectations, though still below September 2023. 10252024dj2.jpg 42.31 KBThe market is focused on signs of any move toward herd rebuilding from this report. The moves were subtle but leaning toward at least some expansion. Of the total inventory on feed, there were 7 million steers, which was 101 percent of last year, and 4.6 million heifers which was 99 percent of last year. Mark...
What You Need to Know Today: Pro Farmer’s crop tour pegged the 2026 U.S. corn crop at 173.2 BPA and anticipated a 15.344 Bbu crop – both figures well below expectations. Pro Farmer forecast 2026 U.S. soybean yields at 53.3 BPA, above most private estimates and USDA’s August W...
Key Takeaways: Gene editing makes targeted changes to a plant’s existing DNA, while genetic modification can introduce genetic material from another organism to create traits not naturally present in the crop. Gene editing is unlikely to replace genetic modification entirely, as the two...
USDA’s August cattle on feed report was released Friday, with the total number of cattle in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more amounting to 11.1 million head, 102 percent of last year and the same as last month. Placements dropped in July to their lowest total for the month s...
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Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.