World Perspectives
livestock

Cattle on Feed; Restaurants Not Feeding; Slaughter Bottlenecks

USDA released its cattle on feed report today; as expected placements were down dramatically to 1.56 million head, the lowest total for March on record. Total inventory was down to 11.3 million head compared to 11.8 million head on 1 March. In the larger picture, the two big factors are the slowdown in slaughter capacity and the cataclysmic drop in food service demand. See Matt Herrington’s article regarding WPI’s latest update on packing capacity. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union has reported that at least 5,000 meatpacking workers and 1,500 food processing workers have been “directly impacted” by the virus, as defined by:  1) testing positive; or  2) missing work due to self-quaranti...

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CFTC COT Report Analysis

Friday’s CFTC report showed that funds are slightly increasing bullish bets across the ag space, primarily in the soy complex and livestock futures. Managed money traders’ net ag position (the combined position across the soybean complex, the three U.S. wheat contracts, corn, and th...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: No Raucous End to the Week

With no new input on fundamentals, traders passively went through the day making only minor changes. Monday’s crop progress report will provide some input, and especially focus on the May 12 WASDE. It will be the first keen look at the balance sheets for MY 2025/26.  It was the fifth...

North Dakota and Glyphosate

Bayer CEO Bill Anderson averred in a recent Wall Street Journal interview that the company will make a decision “in months” - not years – whether it will remain the only domestic producer of glyphosate in the U.S. Anderson became CEO in 2023 and at the time promised to have th...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

CFTC COT Report Analysis

Friday’s CFTC report showed that funds are slightly increasing bullish bets across the ag space, primarily in the soy complex and livestock futures. Managed money traders’ net ag position (the combined position across the soybean complex, the three U.S. wheat contracts, corn, and th...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: No Raucous End to the Week

With no new input on fundamentals, traders passively went through the day making only minor changes. Monday’s crop progress report will provide some input, and especially focus on the May 12 WASDE. It will be the first keen look at the balance sheets for MY 2025/26.  It was the fifth...

North Dakota and Glyphosate

Bayer CEO Bill Anderson averred in a recent Wall Street Journal interview that the company will make a decision “in months” - not years – whether it will remain the only domestic producer of glyphosate in the U.S. Anderson became CEO in 2023 and at the time promised to have th...

soy-oilseeds

U.S. Soybean Crush Margin Outlook

U.S. soybean processing margins have seen considerable volatility over the past month as multiple fundamental factors upended global oilseed and product prices. The most obvious influence was the recent trade war and tit-for-tat escalation in tariffs between the U.S. and, which was exacerbated...

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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.

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