Argentina Dryness Currently the Soybean Trade’s Key Focus It is well known by observers of the global soybean market over the last decade that one of the key factors to watch is the weather situation in Argentina, which has a history of being quite variable from one year to next. Periodic flooding has impacted the country’s soybean production during the past few years, but a severe drought in 2009 and 2012 sharply reduced it and had a substantial effect on prices. Production declined from 46.2 MMT in 2008 to 40.1 MMT in 2009 and from 49 MMT in 2011 to 40.1 MMT the following year as well. It appears there is a growing chance Argentina may suffer another drought in 2018 with a similar effect. Parts of the country are curre...
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...
We have described the long-term investment climate in crop and livestock production, using data primarily from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The data provided background on the current investment climate and outlook for agricultural capital formation. Our conclusion was that investment...
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.