The USDA’s annual Agricultural Outlook Forum (AOF) featured the agency’s first look at the 2026/27 balance sheet for the major U.S. crops and livestock products. For corn, wheat, and soybeans, this year’s numbers were in line with expectations and did not spark much reaction from the futures market. That is not to say, however, that the agency’s first thoughts do not reveal some interesting insights. Here, WPI breaks down the USDA’s latest forecasts and offers our updated balance sheet forecasts alongside the agency’s. Briefly, our models agree with USDA’s in terms of the broad direction for corn and soybean balance sheet trends, but ours show larger changes in the same direction. For wheat, W...
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.