The CBOT was broadly lower on Tuesday as good crop conditions across the U.S. and surprisingly large Brazilian crop forecasts pressured the markets. Cattle futures defied the bearish trend and close higher. Funds started selling grains at the open, triggering sell-stops in soybeans and soymeal. The index fund roll is now in its third day and traders are positioning for Thursday’s WASDE. The WASDE is expected to be bearish corn and beans, and Tuesday’s trade was dominated by liquidation of long positions and farmer selling with the market at fresh highs. For grains, one bearish factor was the continued weakness in the Argentine peso, which hit a new historic low versus the U.S. dollar. Similarly, the Russian ruble and Braz...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.