MIDDLE EAST/MEDITERRANEAN COMMENTS: Morocco’s import duty on soft wheat will be reduced from the current 135 percent to 30 percent on 1 December 2017. The higher rate is in place for part of the year to protect local wheat farmers from lower-cost wheat imports. Approximately 50 percent of domestic production is soft wheat, and officials say that the stocks represent about 3.5 months of consumption. Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Agriculture and Livestock Co. (SALIC) has formed a joint venture with the UAE’s Al Dahra Group to develop agricultural land in the Black Sea region. Both companies currently have operations in Ukraine and Romania as well as Poland and Serbia. According to available information, this joint venture will be m...
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
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.