World Perspectives
livestock

Inverted Choice-Select Spread

Today's USDA Daily Boxed Beef Cutout Value report showed that rare phenomenon of an inverted Choice-Select price spread. Cutout values for Choice beef were $192.94 and cutout values for select were $193.21. This is only the 14th time in history that this has occurred, but it has become less rare of late (three of the four past spring seasons). The last time the spread was inverted was April 2012, before that March 2011, and prior to that April 2009. Before 2009 the spread had not been negative since 1989.In short, an inverted spread says that demand for lower grade beef is greater than higher grade beef. Obviously, this is a phenomenon that doesn't last long. A better understanding is that there are essentially two markets for beef: a mar...

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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.

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