World Perspectives
livestock

Livestock Roundup: Cattle on Feed Preview

USDA will release its Cattle on Feed report tomorrow; the consensus pre-report analysts’ estimate is for the inventory of cattle on feed to be 101 percent of the prior year. This would be the sixth consecutive month that inventories were equal to or larger than the previous year. Prior to that, from September 2022 to September 2023 feedlot inventories were below year ago levels. 

The analysts’ pre-report estimates have marketings at 104 percent of last year and placements at 106 percent of last year, the latter coming in a range of 103 to 109 percent of 2023. For both, note that this is a leap year with an extra day in February. Likewise for placements, feeder cattle imports are running ahead of last year.

However, as...

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Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for March 13-19, 2026.  Wheat: Net sales of 397,200 metric tons (MT) for 2025/2026 were up noticeably from the previous week and up 46 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 383,500 MT were unchanged from the previous week, but down 10 percent...

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Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.67/bushel, down $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.05/bushel, up $0.0725 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7375/bushel, up $0.02 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $322.1/short ton, up $2.3 from...

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Market Commentary: War Worries Continue to Drive the Narrative

War-related higher energies are a mixed story for ags. They could stymie economic growth and thus demand, but they open the door for better biofuel sales. Ags were mostly in the green today, betting on the biofuel market.  Reports Export Sales: Last week’s new commitments by foreign...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for March 13-19, 2026.  Wheat: Net sales of 397,200 metric tons (MT) for 2025/2026 were up noticeably from the previous week and up 46 percent from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 383,500 MT were unchanged from the previous week, but down 10 percent...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.67/bushel, down $0.0025 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $6.05/bushel, up $0.0725 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.7375/bushel, up $0.02 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $322.1/short ton, up $2.3 from...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: War Worries Continue to Drive the Narrative

War-related higher energies are a mixed story for ags. They could stymie economic growth and thus demand, but they open the door for better biofuel sales. Ags were mostly in the green today, betting on the biofuel market.  Reports Export Sales: Last week’s new commitments by foreign...

livestock

Why Beef and Pork Prices May Fall Despite Strong Demand

Beef prices dropped sharply this week, with the Choice cutout down about $11/cwt in the past six trading days. The move unnerved live cattle futures on Wednesday (though the market recovered Thursday) and quickly led to concerns about beef demand weakening. After all, isn’t this supposed...

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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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