It appears that there are bankers now offering farmers advice on what crops to plant along with their decisions regarding operating lines of credit.A call came in over the weekend from a merchandising manager with one of the major U.S. grain companies. It was in response to last Friday’s WPI analysis on USDA’s Outlook Forum and how the acreage numbers can still change because a large percentage of producers still had not finalized 2016 operating lines of credit. They might intend or want to plant more corn, but their lenders could have the final deciding vote in that decision. We had quite a lengthy conversation.Specifically, this merchandiser called to discuss a large farm customer who had previously contracted 2,000 acres of 2016 canola t...
What You Need to Know Today: After a period of limited activity, USDA reported a sizeable 613 KMT in soybean export sales, including 330 KMT to China and 283 KMT to unknown destinations, potentially also China. The purchases represent a meaningful pickup in demand and bring China closer to ful...
Key Takeaways: Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, and the latest retail sales data indicate that spending remains robust despite inflation. In September, total retail and food service sales rose more than 6 percent year-over-year, with food service spending up 7 percent and...
The Trump import plan for 300,000 MT of beef supplies used for ground beef, i.e., lean trim, from September through November has, according to Secretary Brooke Rollins, brought some relief to beef prices. The Executive Order states that the Secretary of Agriculture will analyze and review the m...
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.