The ink is barely dry on the 2014 Farm Bill and its implementation is incomplete. However, lobbyists in Washington are already advising that it is time to begin discussing its successor for 2018, and the troubles ahead are multiple. Real and Imagined Food Demands Reacting to demands from French agricultural unions (FNSEA), Agriculture Minister Stéphane le Foll says that he will initiate mandatory country-of-origin labeling for processed foods. FNSEA claims this will respond to consumer demand. Meanwhile, Norwegian food manufacturers are said to be recalibrating their marketing approach after a survey by Nofima, a research institute, found that consumers prized product characteristics such as taste and suitability more than whether a...
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.