World Perspectives
energy softs

How Sweet It Isn't

Global sugar consumption has now paced below the population growth rate for three years in a row. After dipping sharply in 2019, per capita consumption continues to be lower than it was in the first part of the last decade. There are many factors involved including substitutes, price, and demand as a feedstock for biofuels. Although Brazil is a major producer of ethanol and is expending its feedstock from sugar to also using corn, its overall production of biofuel is forecast to increase, and livestock increasingly compete for the use of corn. Sugarcane grown at the equator continues to be the most efficient feedstock for ethanol.  The sugar industry points to the decline in sugar consumption concurrent with the increase in obesity to...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Expected Biofuel Announcement Cannot Dislodge War Worries

Thursday marked the worst day for stocks in weeks despite word on the street to “buy,” since valuations have once again become attractive. But apparently not yet. History suggests a rebound with President Trump politically compelled to dream up some form of policy stimulus on top of...

wheat

Downside Risk for Wheat into 2026/27

The current rally in wheat futures is widely known to be driven by fund buying in response to the conflict in the Middle East. Part of the price gains has also been motivated by concerns for the HRW crop in the U.S. Plains amid dry weather and the strong U.S. wheat export pace to date. What has...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.62/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.05/bushel, up $0 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5925/bushel, down $0.145 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $315.3/short ton, down $6.8 from ye...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Expected Biofuel Announcement Cannot Dislodge War Worries

Thursday marked the worst day for stocks in weeks despite word on the street to “buy,” since valuations have once again become attractive. But apparently not yet. History suggests a rebound with President Trump politically compelled to dream up some form of policy stimulus on top of...

wheat

Downside Risk for Wheat into 2026/27

The current rally in wheat futures is widely known to be driven by fund buying in response to the conflict in the Middle East. Part of the price gains has also been motivated by concerns for the HRW crop in the U.S. Plains amid dry weather and the strong U.S. wheat export pace to date. What has...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.62/bushel, down $0.05 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.05/bushel, up $0 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5925/bushel, down $0.145 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $315.3/short ton, down $6.8 from ye...

livestock

Grassley and Smith Introduce Meat Industry Consolidation Bill

Previously, on 24 March, WPI wrote about fertilizer consolidation and an effort by Majority Leader John Thune to introduce mandatory price reporting for fertilizer, similar to the process for meat and dairy. However, the efforts to address concentration and market transparency continue. More re...

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From WPI Consulting

Illuminating the value of technical research

On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.

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