Nationalism’s Prejudices U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was accused of being a racist for calling the coronavirus the “Wuhan virus.” If naming the birthplace of a virus is racist than so is perhaps geographical indicators in food. The selfishness gets worse, however. South Korea, Germany and Russia have banned the export of surgical masks. Germany reportedly blocked a truck load of masks headed to Switzerland, which is on the border of northern Italy’s intense outbreak of the disease. Actually, country of origin labeling is a worse offender for skewing favoritism or bias toward a food product solely due its national origin. Least Hurt Sector In a Google analysis of publicly traded companies in 94 different in...
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.