In 1968, the U.S. had 29 percent of the global market for wheat flour and Turkey had a 0.004 percent share. By 2019, The U.S. share was down to 3.4 percent and Turkey dominated the market with a 41.4 percent share. Turkey achieved this shift despite having a relatively uncompetitive wheat production system. Turkish wheat is typically priced 5-10 percent higher than U.S. wheat. It should be noted that the U.S. share has declined as food aid shipments of wheat flour dwindled and Washington adopted more cash in lieu of commodities in food aid. Turkey uses domestic subsidies and organized exports via its state-owned enterprise, the Turkish Grain Board. It also benefits from geographic proximity to large Middle East wheat flour importers,...
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
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.