Brazil’s meat processors are expressing angst that their country’s boosted corn exports to China this year will drive up domestic feed costs to what they describe as an “overpriced” level. The number of Chinese bidders for imported corn is large as the Middle Kingdom’s sow herd rebounded 0.6 percent in December and pork production is almost back to the level it was before African Swine Fever damaged the herd. However, it is a more complicated story for Brazil. Looking at the past decade’s change in grain and meat production in Brazil on two different axes (see below) lends the impression that livestock production has grown alongside feed supplies. However, on a CARG basis, soybean production has gr...
From WPI Consulting
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.