Last year, India restricted non-Basmati rice exports believing there would be a weather-related short supply. Production was ample and now the country faces record high inventories that will likely be dumped on the world market. The OECD calculates that Indian farmers are implicitly taxed $120 billion a year due to export restrictions. Dry conditions were expected to impact Indonesia’s rice production, but now the ministry says rice imports may not be needed in 2025. South Korea’s population and rice demand is falling and so Seoul has been incentivizing farmers to grow alternative crops like wheat as an import substitution measure. Rice is not as large a food grain as corn and wheat, but it occupies more emotional importance, especiall...
What You Need to Know Today: Headlines emerging from negotiations between President Trump and President Xi were relatively limited, with a more substantive announcement expected Monday. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated that additional details related to agricultural trade cou...
The heat of summer is now transitioning into more moderate temperatures, and the next two months have the busiest marketing periods of the year for replacement cattle. Weather always influences the replacement cattle market, and the primary grain belt in the Southern Plains, where many cattle a...
Key Takeaways: Diesel accounts for about 64 percent of U.S. farm fuel spending. For farmers, the pressing question is what a higher price adds to each field operation. Iowa farm diesel averaged $5.50/gallon in September, compared with the $2.89/gallon Iowa State assumed for its February machin...
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.