Livestock Domestic Live Hog Prices See Some Modest Gains A week after bottoming out following the back-to-back holidays, the average price for domestic live hogs improved by RMB .67/kg ($.04/lb.) or 4.7 percent. That helped the average operating loss per marketed pig to lessen by RMB 77/head ($11.21/head) or 23.7 percent. With the average domestic corn cash price edging downward, the corn-hog ratio recovered to 5.10. The announcement last week by the National Reform and Development Commission (NRDC) to purchase 20,000 MT of frozen pork for state reserves seems to have brought some relief. While the tonnage for the first round was relatively small, producers and market analysts also took stock in the idea that NRDC will continue to help ea...
What You Need to Know Today: Markets got a surprise with a corn yield of 181.2 bushels/acre in the October WASDE, above the average estimate of 177.6 bushels/acre and up from USDA’s September estimate of 178.5 bushels/acre. Although stronger demand is expected to absorb some of the addit...
The USDA has lowered its 2026 red meat production forecasts slightly while forecasting a slight increase in broiler production. Beef is now projected at 24.802 billion pounds, 75 million pounds less than in September. Cow slaughter is expected to be up; however, this will be offset by lower ste...
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.