Macroeconomics Food Inflation Falls for Fourth Straight Month Average food prices continued to decline in May as the cost of fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and eggs for consumers were down from a year ago. Meanwhile, the average price for pork, which has continued to increase, rose at a lower rate than in previous months. Across the board food prices were up 10.6 percent from May 2019. That marks the smallest increase since last August. Pork prices at the consumer level ticked up 81.7 percent in May compared with May 2019, but that represented a decrease from April prices, which were up year-on-year by 96.9 percent. Fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and eggs fell on an annualized basis by 8.5 percent, 19.3 percent, and 12.3 percent, respect...
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
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.