The agriculture commissioners and secretaries from the 50 states were in town this week for a meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) and met with U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. In remarks to the state officials, Vilsack discussed California’s Prop 12, and shared that there is not political will on Capitol Hill to pre-empt the regulation, a point of view WPI has heard from Congressional sources as well in discussions over the coming farm bill debate. Vilsack took a big picture view, discussing the U.S. Constitution, James Madison (known as the father of the Constitution), and interstate commerce, as well as bringing up the specter of more states establishing their own production standards...
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.