Politicians Politicizing U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has her state’s fishermen to protect from more innovative competitors, and so she is using the legislative process to skew the market. For the second year, she has added language to the annual appropriations bill prohibiting the sale of AquaBounty’s GM salmon until the FDA places a mandatory GMO label on the product. This totally conflicts with a separate congressional agreement on how GMO labeling will be handled. The FDA ought to require that the label say genetically modified and the most delicious. On the other side of the aisle, Representative Rosa DeLaura (D-Connecticut), a protectionist and food safety crank, is trying to stop the Trump administration from...
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.
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...