China National Chemical’s (ChemChina’s) purchase of Syngenta will not only lead to improved crop yields in China, but it should also create a path for competing seeds and crops from abroad. ChemChina Opens Several Doors China National Chemical’s (ChemChina’s) purchase of Syngenta will not only lead to improved crop yields in China, but it should also create a path for competing seeds and crops from abroad. Beijing has dragged its feet on allowing Western biotech seed firms’ access to Chinese farm fields. It has also slow-walked some biotech traits for imported commodities. For “food security” reasons, the Chinese government sought to first develop its own domestic biotechnology capability so that it would not be dependent on Western techn...
Congress is moving forward with its FY 2027 spending bills, while also still working to address FY 2026 funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is still in a shutdown. The House Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee marked up and passed its FY 2027 bill. The House bill prov...
Update for 6 April 2025: Last year, users pointed out differences between the 5-year averages reported in this app and what USDA estimates in its weekly report. The difference exists because WPI calculates average based on the last 5 years of observations for the current week. In cases where ob...
Beef packer margins improved to -$100/head last week, up $28 from the prior week as the Choice cutout stabilized following its brief post-Easter decline while fed cattle prices eased modestly. The cutout firmed to $384/cwt, while fed cattle prices slipped to $246/cwt, allowing packer margins to...
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.