World Perspectives

Different Value-Added

USDA/FAS reports that excessive rains hit Chile earlier this year and damaged a wide swath of that country’s grape crop. What is notable is the concentration of global grape trade by some of the world’s smaller producers of grapes. Six countries (Chile, Peru, South Africa, United States, Mexico, and Australia) that fall into the category of so-called New World suppliers of grapes and grape products represent just 12.6 percent of global production. Yet those same six countries fulfill 58 percent of all global grape trade.  Disparate dominance between production and exports is not unique. China is the largest producer but has 18 percent of the world’s consumers. Chile typically has a perfect climate for grape productio...

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There are so many conflicting narratives between war and peace, rain and drought, hopes and fears, that it was a mixed day of trading on Friday, and a mixed outcome for the week.  For today, corn suffered its sixth lower day in the past seven trading sessions. There was high volume in soyb...

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Inflation Ramps Up on Energy and Food Away from Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) today, showing that it rose 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, month over month, after being up 0.3 percent in February, and rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.  Energy was the...

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May 26 Corn closed at $4.41/bushel, down $0.03 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.71/bushel, down $0.035 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7575/bushel, up $0.105 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $331.8/short ton, up $14.2 from...

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There are so many conflicting narratives between war and peace, rain and drought, hopes and fears, that it was a mixed day of trading on Friday, and a mixed outcome for the week.  For today, corn suffered its sixth lower day in the past seven trading sessions. There was high volume in soyb...

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Inflation Ramps Up on Energy and Food Away from Home

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the March Consumer Price Index (CPI) today, showing that it rose 0.9 percent, seasonally adjusted, month over month, after being up 0.3 percent in February, and rose 3.3 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted.  Energy was the...

wheat

Wheat’s Fall from Grace

Buried in the many mountains of USDA data last week was the March 2026 Prospective Plantings report. There you will find one specific figure among the many that was a record: USDA’s lowest ever prospective plantings estimate for wheat. It was not a surprise. U.S. wheat plantings and harve...

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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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