Plentiful Soybean Supplies USDA yesterday confirmed the U.S. will harvest a record soybean crop once again in 2018, forecasting the average national yield at 52.8 bushels/acre (3.55 MT/hectare) and a record production of 4.693 billion bushels (127.74 MMT). Even though it raised the estimate for 2017/18 U.S. soybean usage by 35 million bushels to 4.321 billion bushels (117.6 MMT), the 2018 crop size caused USDA to increase the 2018/19 ending stocks forecast by 60 million bushels to a record 845 million bushels (23 MMT). That huge volume of soybeans is unlikely to get much smaller anytime soon short of a substantial weather problem in South America or the U.S. in 2019. Among the significant changes in USDA’s U.S. and global supp...
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
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.