Instead of steady or a slight reduction in corn acres, the U.S. farmers surveyed by USDA in early March said they intended to boost plantings by 5.6 million acres, a number that clearly left most analysts stunned for several reasons.The potential U.S. corn outlook and real possibility that corn planted acres could decline or slightly increase from 2015 were discussed here in January. Last Thursday’s USDA planting intentions numbers rendered that analysis useless. Instead of steady or a slight reduction in corn acres, the U.S. farmers surveyed by USDA in early March said they intended to boost plantings by 5.6 million acres, a number that clearly left most analysts stunned. Those of us who expected steady acres at best had based that assumpt...
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...