End of Exporting Humans have traded food for millennia, from the luxuries of the spice trade and the Silk Road to wheat bartering in the Middle East/North Africa. The global trade in food exploded after WWII as a means to fight war-based starving and continued to grow as populations expanded faster than food production in some countries. Today, it is the mantra of the industry to move food from where it is in surplus to where it is needed. Farmers in food surplus countries like the U.S., EU, and South America would go out of business without exports. Now Dutch Minister for Nature and Nitrogen Policy Christianne van der Wal-Zeggelink says that, “Export percentages are not a goal for us. Our goal is emission reduction and to res...
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
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.