The U.S. grain trade business has been largely dominated by privately-owned companies for the past several decades. Their efficiency at the business is demonstrated by their success over the years replacing government entities at the task, including succeeding the grain boards in Canada and Australia. However, the Trump administration may have an alternative viewpoint, particularly as China takes a generally state-owned enterprise (SOE) approach to global grain trade. The strategic business advisory firm Hackett Group published a report months ago at the height of the U.S.-China trade negotiations that suggested U.S. agriculture faces a hopeful parallel with 1972. At about that time in history, President Trump’s real estate business...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.