All the potential weather adversity has seemed to finally awaken fund managers holding huge short futures positions in Chicago wheat and corn as well as a smaller short position in soybean futures. General Comments Yesterday USDA indicated that U.S. corn planting progress jumped to 17 percent and soybean planting stood at 6 percent as of 23 April. This put corn planting close to the five-year average and soybeans above the five-year average, emphasizing just how quickly U.S. farmers can seed these crops when weather cooperates. However, it does not appear that such cooperation will continue much during the next 10 days or so. Intermittent heavy rains are forecast for the Delta and Midwest with totals approaching 5 inches or more. These we...
What You Need to Know Today: A third U.S. border crossing (Columbus, New Mexico) has reopened to Mexican cattle imports following nearly two years of restrictions related to New World screwworm. The reopening could gradually improve feeder cattle availability, although more than 60 confi...
Yesterday, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) released a new report of negotiated cash purchases of cattle under the mandatory price report. The report included Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. The goal of the report was to solve the confidentiality issues e...
Key Takeaways: U.S. soybean crushing began in 1911 and saw its most rapid expansion during the 1930s amid the broader agricultural and technology revolutions of the time. After peaking in the early 2000s, the soybean crushing industry went through a downturn as poor crush margins forced...
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.