Livestock Live Hog Prices Tank, Down More Than 14 Percent Last Week The Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs (MARA) data show the national live hog price down for the tenth week in a row last week, shedding 6.4 percent. According to data from the market analytics firm Boyar, the national average price dropped by RMB 3.45/kg ($.52/kg) or RMB 1.56/lb. ($.24/kg). That equated to a week-on-week decrease of 14.2 percent. With the national average price below RMB 21/kg ($3.21/kg) or RMB 9.53/lb. ($1.46/lb.), this marks the lowest level since mid-August 2019. Not surprisingly, the sharply lower average live hog price resulted in the average profit per pig falling last week by 36.6 percent or RMB 421/head ($64.37/head). The average operatin...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.