World Perspectives
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Cotton Market Basics and 2024/25 Outlook

Following recent client requests, WPI provides the following overview of the cotton market, its basic structure and recent trends, and a short outlook for MY 2024/25.  Cotton Production  World cotton production is highly concentrated with four countries (China, India, Brazil, and the U.S.) accounting for 71 percent of total production. Pakistan and Australia are the next largest producers but their contribution to the market tends to adjust supplies on the margin rather than provide major directional influences. The world’s largest producers, China and India, account for about 45 percent of global cotton output. China and India are also the two largest users of cotton, though China’s industry for refining cotton and...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Market Stalls Waiting for South American Weather Definition

There were modest volumes on this last trading day of the week, except in soymeal and cattle where the goal was to get out of the former and into the latter. There were new contract highs, again, in cattle. Overall weakness was blamed on Argentina’s announced lower tax rates on commodity...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for January 10-16, 2025 Wheat: Net sales of 164,800 metric tons (MT) for 2024/2025 were down 68 percent from the previous week and 52 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 201,300 MT were up 2 percent from the previous week, but down 41 percent fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 25 Corn closed at $4.865/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Mar 25 Wheat closed at $5.44/bushel, down $0.1 from yesterday's close.  Mar 25 Soybeans closed at $10.5575/bushel, down $0.0975 from yesterday's close.  Mar 25 Soymeal closed at $304.9/short ton, down $10...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Market Stalls Waiting for South American Weather Definition

There were modest volumes on this last trading day of the week, except in soymeal and cattle where the goal was to get out of the former and into the latter. There were new contract highs, again, in cattle. Overall weakness was blamed on Argentina’s announced lower tax rates on commodity...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for January 10-16, 2025 Wheat: Net sales of 164,800 metric tons (MT) for 2024/2025 were down 68 percent from the previous week and 52 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 201,300 MT were up 2 percent from the previous week, but down 41 percent fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Mar 25 Corn closed at $4.865/bushel, down $0.0325 from yesterday's close.  Mar 25 Wheat closed at $5.44/bushel, down $0.1 from yesterday's close.  Mar 25 Soybeans closed at $10.5575/bushel, down $0.0975 from yesterday's close.  Mar 25 Soymeal closed at $304.9/short ton, down $10...

livestock

Cattle on Feed

U.S. Cattle on Feed for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.8 million head on January 1, 2025 – down 1 percent from January 1, 2024. Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.64 million head, 3 percent below 2023.  Marketings of fed cattle during December t...

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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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