Ethanol use is up, but so are COVID-19 cases in several U.S. states and cities. Wall Street plunged on Thursday envisioning a renewed lockdown on the economy, but Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin pushed back saying, “we can’t shut down the economy again.” Echoing that view, various government officials at the state level concerned about the loss of jobs also rejected any new lockdowns. Officials are arguing that lockdowns are too damaging and that they are now better prepared for handling the virus. This is good news for ethanol and thus corn demand. At this juncture, Americans do not want to take public transportation and they don’t want to get on airplanes. Highways are rapidly resuming congestion. There are incre...
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.