One of the significant impacts of the COVID pandemic was its effect on the balance of food demand between retail grocery and food service. This was particularly seen in certain categories in 2020, such as dairy, meat and poultry, seafood, and some produce. Some was made up with renewed retail demand (seafood, meat, and cheese), some through carryout (certain types of meat and cheese – think fast food drive through and home delivery pizza), and some remained out of balance. The most recent survey from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) on household energy use, including kitchen appliance ownership and use, shows a baseline benchmark on home cooking. The EIA survey is conducted every four or five years – the recently rel...
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...
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.