We note that 11 state Attorneys General have asked the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to investigate the anti-trust and price fixing implications of the high degree of concentration in the meat packing industry. This request was seconded by several members of Congress including Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). We note this with some bemusement. Among all of the commercial sectors of the U.S. economy, meat packing has surely been the most investigated industry in history. There is a very high level of concentration in the meat packing industry. Four companies, Tysons Foods, Cargill, JBS and National Beef, currently account for more than 80 percent of beef production in the U.S. Such large concentration in the hands of a few compani...
What You Need to Know Today: President Trump claimed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was over, as both sides accused one another of violating the terms of the agreement. Commercial vessels are increasingly steering clear of the Strait of Hormuz as security risks escalate following Iran...
Key Takeaways: The CME Group is launching new 90 percent Lean Beef and 50 percent Lean Beef futures and options contracts in July. There are five key factors that must be present in physical markets and futures contract specifications for futures contracts to become successful. The two l...
From WPI Consulting
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.