World Perspectives
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 to be the seasonal run-up ahead of the summer grilling season? 

WPI suspects the industry has nothing to worry about regarding long-term beef demand, and the current decline in beef prices is likely only temporary. The biggest reason is that – in the absence of a major, beef- or cattle-specific shock (like BSE) – consumer demand does not change as rapidly as would justify the decline in beef prices. So, supply factors are the more li...

Related Articles
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...

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

Livestock Roundup: Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report

USDA released its quarterly hogs and pigs report today. The inventory of all hogs and pigs on 1 March was 74.3 million head, up slightly from March 2025 but down 1.5 percent from 1 December. The report was in line with the previous five-year average of a decrease of 1.8 percent from December to...

Image
From WPI Consulting

Weighing in on strategic realignment

WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up