Analog’s Future In contrast to Uber, investors have given Beyond Meat a meteoric climb. The question is, how real is the meat analog market? Like IT disruptors, Beyond Meat currently loses money on everything it sells, and one skeptical short seller went so far as to call it Beyond Stupid. Adding to the skepticism regarding the plant-based protein sector are factors like tons of competition, poorly developed supply chains and finicky consumers. Still, aiding the product line are perceptions that may not be correct but are real and encourage the purpose-driven purchasing of analog products for causes of environment, health and perceived animal welfare. At least the movement is not anti-science since Impossible Foods is using GM soy i...
Communicating importance of value-added products
Facing increasing pressure to quantify the value of export promotion efforts to investors, a U.S. industry organization retained WPI to develop a quantitative model that better communicated the importance of exports. The resulting model concluded that value-added meat exports contributed $0.45 cents per bushel to the price of corn, increasing support for that sector’s financial support of WPI’s client. In addition to serving the red meat industry with this type of analysis, WPI has generated similar deliverables for the U.S. soybean and poultry/egg industries.
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year. Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought c...