Earlier this week (see WPI 11 December) we wrote that the potential reinstatement of the biodiesel blenders' tax credit could impact Brazilian sugar ethanol imports into the United States. Today we look at the Brazilian ethanol industry's problems maintaining its profitability.Ethanol producers in the United States sell their product to be blended with gasoline that is privately refined and marketed. In Brazil, however, ethanol makers deal with a government-owned entity, Petrobras. Unlike private oil companies that want to maximize their profits, Petrobras wants stable prices at the pump to keep taxpayers happy. There is in fact a cap on gas prices that Petrobras subsidizes. This cap comes at a cost to both Petrobras and cane ethanol refi...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. weather is getting more attention this week as conditions vary greatly across the western, central, and eastern corn belts, with the different regions battling dryness and too much rain simultaneously. The ProFarmer Crop Tour began today in Indiana and Nebrask...
Key Takeaways: Argentina is on pace for a record corn crop and record exports in the current marketing year, with abundant supplies likely to keep the country highly competitive in global export markets. Argentina’s record exportable surplus is allowing it to offer highly competitive pri...
From WPI Consulting
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.