General Comments USDA's April WASDE basically told the market what it already knew or already assumed. It provided nothing new for markets to trade on, unless it was a better supply outlook for old crop corn than most analysts had expected. Lacking their own new fundamental inputs, grain and soy markets fell victim to the same concerns that faced all asset classes today: eurozone debt, China and Europe's slowing economies, slow U.S. job creation, fear that high fuel prices might be a drag on the U.S. economy, and expectations of poor quarterly earnings reports from U.S. companies. Simply put, good economic news was totally lacking. A combination of all these fears drove investment money out of riskier asset classes, including commodities...
Key Takeaways: President Trump announced $8 billion in additional agricultural assistance through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program, as USDA projects farm fuel and oil expenses will increase 28.8 percent in 2026. The package follows $12 billion in earlier relief, while government farm payments w...
Key Takeaways: A student group from the University of Chicago is protesting to bring back onion futures trading. Trading in onion futures was banned in 1958 following a spectacular bout of market manipulation that resulted in a corner of the physical market. The ban on onion futures led t...
Beef packer margins deteriorated to $141/head last week, down $55 from the prior week as fed cattle prices strengthened while the Choice cutout remained nearly unchanged. The cutout held near $373/cwt while fed cattle prices climbed $4/cwt to $224/cwt, narrowing processor profits. Despite the d...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.