World Perspectives
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Risk-On Pre-WASDE Trade; Wheat Rallies on Too Dry/Too Wet Forecast; Inflation Drives Fund Buying

The CBOT was higher the day before the May WASDE with traders turning more bullish amid persistently challenging weather forecasts for the world’s major crop producers. Moreover, U.S. economic data sent funds looking for assets in which to hedge inflation risks, which meant an inflow of speculative money for the CBOT. Funds were modest net buyers for the day but overall volume was low, as is usually expected the day before the WASDE.  The U.S. inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, rose 8.3 percent in April, which was down 0.2 percent from March’s rate but still the highest inflation rate since the 1980s. Notably, food inflation rose to 9.4 percent – the highest level since April 1981. Rising food c...

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: General Equilibrium with Weather and War

Outside markets continued their reversal higher following the rescission of President Trump’s tariff threats against Europe. Ukraine’s grain exports are stymied by Russian attacks, with both sides seemingly inching forward on talks, but a survey of former diplomats shows 80 percent...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

2026 Outlook: Market Home Runs Unlikely, Use Risk Management to Stay at Bat This Year

With the spring planting effort just around the corner, producers and traders are starting to get a handle on the outlook for the coming marketing year. That outlook suffered a bit of a shock following the January WASDE report, as USDA reiterated the large-supply narrative for U.S. and world gr...

livestock

Livestock Roundup: Cattle on Feed Preview

USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report for January will be released tomorrow. Analysts’ pre-report consensus estimates are for the total inventory on feed to be 96.8 percent of last year, with the range of estimates between 96 and 97.6 percent of 1 January 2024. Those estimates imply...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: General Equilibrium with Weather and War

Outside markets continued their reversal higher following the rescission of President Trump’s tariff threats against Europe. Ukraine’s grain exports are stymied by Russian attacks, with both sides seemingly inching forward on talks, but a survey of former diplomats shows 80 percent...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

2026 Outlook: Market Home Runs Unlikely, Use Risk Management to Stay at Bat This Year

With the spring planting effort just around the corner, producers and traders are starting to get a handle on the outlook for the coming marketing year. That outlook suffered a bit of a shock following the January WASDE report, as USDA reiterated the large-supply narrative for U.S. and world gr...

livestock

Livestock Roundup: Cattle on Feed Preview

USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report for January will be released tomorrow. Analysts’ pre-report consensus estimates are for the total inventory on feed to be 96.8 percent of last year, with the range of estimates between 96 and 97.6 percent of 1 January 2024. Those estimates imply...

Transportation and Export Report - January 22, 2026

WPI is pleased to release the third week of the Transportation and Export Report, a weekly industry publication previously produced by ocean freight specialist Jay O’Neil. This report, which WPI recently acquired, will strengthen WPI’s coverage of global ocean freight markets by bui...

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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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