Philippines Agriculture After remittances from overseas, agriculture and fisheries are the most important industries in the Philippines. A country of 114 million people of which one-quarter are engaged in agriculture. It is such an important sector that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos concurrently took the title of Agriculture Secretary. However, he is now having to import food to tamp down inflation, while complaining that the sector has been ignored and needs attention. In the search for how to improve the sector, one person has it correct. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) President George T. Barcelon says the sector must scale up and automate. He correctly notes that investment is needed, and investor...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said Friday that the U.S. has seized $1b of Iranian crypto assets. Iran’s IGGC says 15 merchant vessels, including 4 oil tankers, have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours. Managed money traders...
Game of Chicken The U.S. and Mexico just completed an initial round of bilateral negotiations leading up to completing a joint review of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA). A second round is scheduled for June 16-17 in Washington and will include agriculture as a key agenda item. A third...
Food Inflation The Open Markets Institute, which is notably funded by several “anonymous” donors and liberal foundations, obtained a guest editorial in the New York Times in which they blame agribusiness concentration for higher grocery prices. This is their schtick and it is politi...
Since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in February 2026, energy markets have experienced significant disruptions. Crude oil, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products rose sharply as traders responded to uncertainty in one of the world's most important shipping corridors. The question for fo...
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.