Last week, WPI noted in a summer cattle market outlook that 14 percent of the cattle producing regions were in drought, compared to 38 percent last year, with the exception of the southeast cow/calf country where drought is worsening and raises questions about cow culling, heifer retention, and hay and forage crops in the region. The latest crop progress report shows that more than 91 percent of the corn crop in North Carolina is rated fair, or worse. Very poor ratings cover 44 percent of the crop, and 29 percent is rated as poor. That may mean a lot of corn in the state could be chopped for silage for forage, but not much can be transported to bigger cow calf areas of Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and elsewhere. And with 67 per...
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.
What You Need to Know Today: The hot, dry weather forecast continues to drive strength in grain futures with corn and soybeans hitting another day of strong gains. Monday’s Crop Progress and Conditions data were in line with market expectations and showed relatively few concerns for the...
Yesterday we wrote about the Q1 GDP numbers and the June employment reports in an article entitled Real GDP for Q1 Relying on AI Buildout, Held Back by Consumer Spending. That article mentioned that consumer spending had become a drag on GDP. Nonetheless, real GDP in Q1 was revised upward to 2...
Key Takeaways: The Middle East and North Africa's arid climate and limited water resources have created a structural dependence on imported wheat. Government wheat tenders in major importing countries serve as important benchmarks for global trade, providing insight into exporter competitivene...