As market pessimism mounts in China, last week's average domestic corn price fell. A survey with traders, though, indicated that cornstarch prices did rise slightly, but the uptick had little effect on processors' profit margins. Oilseeds Small Decline in Soymeal Inventories After nearly a month of steady increases, the estimated soymeal inventories of major crushers fell last week to 1.31 MMT from 1.39 MMT two weeks ago (-5.83 percent). That total is 1.08 MMT or 45.23 percent lower than the same period in 2014. Meanwhile, downstream demand has risen in recent weeks. In fact, our recent research suggests that market reports in June had underestimated end user demand for the second-half of that month. Among the surveyed regions, eastern C...
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.