World Perspectives
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Food versus Fiber

A common debate about a decade ago was framed as food versus fuel; should crops traditionally used for food instead be converted into biofuel, especially during a food shortage. Opponents of biofuel may continue to argue in favor of only crops for food but there was also a forecast of declining cotton production. In the food versus fiber debate, cotton was forecast by some to be outbid when it came to land utilization. As with many long-range forecasts, the cotton loss prognosticators got it wrong. The global area planted to cotton has been volatile but remains well above the reduced scale forecasted by some. The world cotton stocks-to-use ratio has similarly been volatile but on trend, both harvested area and surplus stocks would be calle...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Some Rebounds, Some New Contract Lows

Most of the board traded in the red to start today’s trading session. There is too much corn and soybeans and not enough prospective buyers. All three major wheat contracts hit new lows today. Except for corn, major contracts are bearishly trading below major moving averages. Grower group...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.1975/bushel, up $0.0175 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.195/bushel, down $0.025 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.33/bushel, up $0.015 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $283.7/short ton, up $1.2 from...

livestock

Cultivated and Veggie Based Meat Alternatives

The closure of the Mexican border to feeder cattle imports due to New World Screwworm (NWS) has led to a 17 percent increase in beef prices in Mexico and a 12 percent increase in prices in the U.S. Cattle shipments to the U.S. have dropped more than 70 percent from January to July of this year...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Some Rebounds, Some New Contract Lows

Most of the board traded in the red to start today’s trading session. There is too much corn and soybeans and not enough prospective buyers. All three major wheat contracts hit new lows today. Except for corn, major contracts are bearishly trading below major moving averages. Grower group...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.1975/bushel, up $0.0175 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.195/bushel, down $0.025 from yesterday's close.  Nov 25 Soybeans closed at $10.33/bushel, up $0.015 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $283.7/short ton, up $1.2 from...

livestock

Cultivated and Veggie Based Meat Alternatives

The closure of the Mexican border to feeder cattle imports due to New World Screwworm (NWS) has led to a 17 percent increase in beef prices in Mexico and a 12 percent increase in prices in the U.S. Cattle shipments to the U.S. have dropped more than 70 percent from January to July of this year...

Inflation Regime Changes and Commodity Market Outlooks

U.S. fiscal and monetary policy is at a crossroads, which is creating uncertainty for macroeconomic and commodity markets. Chief among these concerns is “sticky” inflation that has resisted the Fed’s efforts to control it, which is juxtaposed against a weakening labor market...

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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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