Surplus butter stocks are at their lowest level in years and its price has increased 80 percent faster than already inflated overall grocery prices. The causes include a contracted dairy herd due to higher feed costs, a lack of labor at processing plants, and the bias toward other dairy products (milk, ice cream, cheese) in the dairy class price system. Chicago futures indicate that prices will moderate over the coming year, dropping by 25 percent in the October/November 2023 deferred contracts. Between now and then, butter imports are near their record level in 2020, and margarine made from low-linolenic soybeans or alternative processing provide a substitute. Animal welfare and environmental regulations may lead to the next push hi...
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.