The war against GMO’s is still playing out in Africa. French news platform RFI reports that farmers in Kenya are fighting over whether to grow Bt cotton. One farmer claimed his yields jumped 166 percent with Bt cotton seed, but opponents say initial yield gains eventually recede and Bt cotton is of poor quality. Threatening the opposition’s narrative is the reality of Bt cotton production in the largest cotton producing countries. Yields of Bt cotton are substantially larger than that of Kenya’s non-GMO cotton, and they have remained consistently higher over many years. Additionally, the four top exporters of cotton (U.S., Brazil, Australia and India) have consistently retained their positions, indicating that any q...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. and Chinese officials are expected to discuss agriculture and non-tariff trade barriers ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington later this month, potentially opening the door to additional U.S. agricultural purchases or improved marke...
The U.S. will observe Labor Day on Monday, 7 September. U.S. markets and the WPI office will be closed that day. The next edition of Ag Perspectives will be published Tuesday, 8 September...
Key Takeaways: Drought and changes to the multi-year trend in cow slaughter and retention have the potential to dramatically alter beef trim supplies and pricing, and WPI specifically models three different drought scenarios for fall 2026. Based on our models, WPI expects 90 percent lean...
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.