Yesterday’s Planting Intentions and Grain Ending Stocks reports from USDA were market movers, but despite the effects of higher feed prices, there was also bullish news on the hog and pork front. First, as we reported last week, the quarterly hogs and pigs report showed smaller numbers across the board from the pre-pandemic 2020 December to February quarterly report. Last year there were records for total inventory, market hogs, December-to-February pig crop, and pigs saved per litter. Last week’s report was the first drop in total swine herd numbers (down 2 percent) from 1 March to 1 March since 2014. The reduction in the sow herd was the largest since 2009. The Cold Storage report showed pork was reported at 491...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.