Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in February 2026, energy markets have experienced significant disruptions. Crude oil, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products rose sharply as traders responded to uncertainty in one of the world's most important shipping corridors. The question for food manufacturers, retailers, and consumers is straightforward: have these higher energy prices begun to affect food inflation? The first signs may already be visible. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased sharply in March and April 2026. More notable for the food industry, the CPI Food at Home index increased nearly 0.7 percent in April, its largest monthly increase since the food-price shock that followed Russia's invasio...
What You Need to Know Today: Declining crop conditions ratings and shaky results from the Pro Farmer crop tour sent grains sharply higher on Tuesday. The Pro Farmer tour in Ohio pegged the state yield at 180.18 BPA, about 5.5 BPA below the tour’s 2025 estimate. Similarly, the Pro Farmer...
Based on a Depression-era statute, President Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion of exports to the U.S., or about 5.2 percent of the $383 billion worth of goods the U.S. imported from Canada in 2025, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Of that total, about $39.3 billion was agricu...
Key Takeaways: Brazil’s growing role in global agriculture is accompanied by a major vulnerability: the country imports approximately 88 percent of its fertilizer needs. High natural gas costs and development challenges have limited domestic nitrogen and potash production despite Brazil&...
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.