World Perspectives

Right Sized; Russian Meltdown

Right Sized How large should farms be? That has become an issue in Europe, which like the U.S. started as a social issue but is now morphing in the EU into an ecological question. A USDA/ERS study on consolidation in U.S. farms found three factors driving the push to larger scaled operations. The first is technology, which enables less labor to be required. Surveys of farmers typically reveal a willingness if not the desire to manage more land, largely because of surplus capacity for doing it. Second, and somewhat related to the first is capital costs. Financing any business is made easier when lenders perceive efficiencies from scale, implementation of costly practices like precision agriculture, and relatively sophisticated management pr...

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Usually, the day USDA releases its monthly world supply and demand report – known colloquially as “WASDE day” – sees heightened volatility in CBOT ag futures. That was true again Tuesday, though there was little causal connection between the WASDE and the market’s...

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May 26 Corn closed at $4.5225/bushel, down $0.015 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.91/bushel, down $0.1225 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $12.0175/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $314.5/short ton, up $1 fro...

FOB Prices and Freight Rates App (Updated 11 March)

WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Oil Volatility Drives CBOT More than WASDE

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.5225/bushel, down $0.015 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.91/bushel, down $0.1225 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $12.0175/bushel, up $0.055 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $314.5/short ton, up $1 fro...

Economic Outlook for 2026

The January jobs report surprised to the upside, coming in at 172,000 new jobs, well above the consensus expectation of 68,000. However, the February report showed jobs falling by 86,000, far off the consensus expectation of a gain of 60,000. This loss was driven by education, leisure and hospi...

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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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