All eyes are focused on the outbreak of ASF in the Dominican Republic; the disease was traced to backyard operations and has now been found in 14 of the country's 32 provinces. There are about 20,000 backyard farms in the country and about 400 commercial scale farms. About 18,000 head have been culled. This week President Luis Abinader announced funding of 39 million pesos (about $675,000) to compensate producers. The government will buy hogs and manage pork in cold storage to not oversupply the market further depressing hog prices. The bigger market issue is the spread of ASF outside the country – specifically to Puerto Rico which is about 70 miles east of the Dominican Republic (the outbreak started on the western side of the...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. launches naval escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran attacks UAE oil infrastructure, escalating geopolitical risk and supporting energy and broader commodity markets Biofuel demand entering uncharted territory, with soyoil valuation increasingly di...
The Middle East is said to be undergoing a transformation as economic priorities transcend security concerns. This is evidenced by diversification away from oil and the UAE’s departure from OPEC. Meanwhile, the Palestine issue has been deprioritized, and Iran has emerged as more destabili...
All eyes are shifting to the Senate following the House passage of a farm bill last Thursday. Senate Agriculture Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Arkansas) is targeting the end of May or early June for a bill markup. According to Boozman, the House “going ahead and passing something was re...
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.