Both the beef and swine herds are in expansion mode, but cattle and hogs are looking at different price forecasts compared with last year.Cattle prices ended 2016 on a bearish note and are expected to remain well below last year’s levels until late into 2017. At that point, they will be about equal to the low point of last year’s price range. The 31 January cattle inventory report showed continued herd expansion for the third straight year. Such growth occurred in 27 states with the largest increase on the Great Plains as pasture conditions improved. Moreover, this was spurred by good profitability for cattle producers in 2014 and 2015. However, that financial return is now being squeezed with rising red meat production, which is a signal t...
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...
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...
Let’s return briefly to the fake meat hype cycle, now sitting somewhere in a dusty corner of your mind, not entirely forgotten. What happened to all those products, known as plant-based alternative proteins? They were supposed to be as good as real meat—cheaper, more environmentally...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.