Egypt is reportedly switching from purchasing grain FOB and then managing its own freight risks to buying C&F so that suppliers bear any higher costs in volatile markets. Freight rates have been falling and should continue to do so as the global economy goes into recession. Bulk shipping charges per ton have fallen in recent months in 75 percent of the routes tracked by WPI; they’ve risen in just 18 percent of the markets. On the other hand, the shipping industry is under unique pressures. There are port delays due to increased inspections and reportedly the burning rather than reuse of components such as pallets arriving from infected countries. The oil industry is using many ships as floating storage tanks during a supply...
What You Need to Know Today: Agricultural commodities were mostly lower on the day, with red-hot soyoil a notable exception. Export sales were a bit underwhelming, particularly for corn with export sales down 52 percent week-over-week. The weakness in ag markets tracked crude oil weakness wit...
With the war in Iran affecting fuel and fertilizer prices, higher tariffs, weak commodity prices, ag labor constraints, and other factors, farm bankruptcies are now at a 6-year high, a signal of growing stress. During the month of April, 62 Chapter 12 bankruptcies were filed, which is a 1...
Food Inflation The Open Markets Institute, which is notably funded by several “anonymous” donors and liberal foundations, obtained a guest editorial in the New York Times in which they blame agribusiness concentration for higher grocery prices. This is their schtick and it is politi...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.