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Cocoa Market Update: Prices Rise as Stocks Fall

At the end of July 2024, WPI published an article looking at the drivers of the cocoa market’s massive rally in 2023 and 2024 and that offered an outlook for MY 2024/25. This article offers a brief update on market conditions and developments that have occurred in the two months since our last analysis.   Short-Run Dynamics ICE cocoa futures have rallied sharply this week with the March contract up $669/MT amid tighter global stockpiles, currency dynamics, and West African cocoa production. ICE-monitored cocoa inventories in U.S. ports have been trending lower for the past 15 months and hit a 15-year low on Tuesday at 1.998 million bags. London cocoa futures also added to their gains this week when the British pounds slipp...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

CFTC COT Report Analysis

Friday’s CFTC report showed funds building their net long position across the major ag futures contracts for the second straight week. Funds added 108,000 contracts to their all-ags net long position last week, with buying in soyoil and CBOT wheat driving most of that increase.  The...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 30 January)

WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...

Transportation and Export Report - 28 January 2026

Grain transportation was thrown into confusion this week as ice and low water levels on the Mississippi River System snarled barge traffic and caused a surge in CIF grain values. On the ocean freight markets, rising bunker prices and improved demand in the Atlantic drove dry-bulk markets higher...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

CFTC COT Report Analysis

Friday’s CFTC report showed funds building their net long position across the major ag futures contracts for the second straight week. Funds added 108,000 contracts to their all-ags net long position last week, with buying in soyoil and CBOT wheat driving most of that increase.  The...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 30 January)

WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...

Transportation and Export Report - 28 January 2026

Grain transportation was thrown into confusion this week as ice and low water levels on the Mississippi River System snarled barge traffic and caused a surge in CIF grain values. On the ocean freight markets, rising bunker prices and improved demand in the Atlantic drove dry-bulk markets higher...

Markets Not Government; Fueling and Building Cars; Middle Power Potential; EU Mimics China

Markets Not Government A common refrain from U.S. agriculture groups is that they prefer to get their income from the market than the government. Most of their income is derived from the market but it looks more romantic than real when one considers that government supplements determine the bre...

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From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

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