The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN produces a lot of data that could be useful, if it were accurate. The problems in the data have been ongoing for years and there is no effort to fix it. The gaps and flaws are readily apparent in the price database where data is either misreported or revealing of the adverse impacts of border measures. The data is always old, with 2017 the most recent available now. The problem of data being completely missing often involves developing countries, but not always. A search for major grain prices from Argentina and Brazil finds them missing, but Argentina reported beef prices for that year while France did not. Turkey reported that the farmgate value of its sunflower crop in 2...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets remain mixed with Capesize vessels seeing continued pressure from weaker demand while fixtures and rate strength gradually increases towards the smaller vessel classes. Tanker markets are pulling back from their recent highs as tonnage moves out of the Mid...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
From WPI Consulting
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.