World Perspectives

The Price Ain’t Right; Food Standards Fraud; Opportunity Strikes

The Price Ain’t Right German Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner thinks the problem is inexpensive meat. She told Reuters that, “Meat is too cheap. Lurid advertising with low prices for meat does not fit with appreciation and sustainability…This is no longer acceptable.” She could raise the standards for products produced by German industry, though that could get undermined by products from other EU member states, so instead she is browbeating poor consumers hurting financially from the coronavirus. She has also reportedly said, "Meat should not be a luxury commodity for the rich, but also not an everyday junk product." Most regulators focus on health and safety rather than price. The former German Wine Queen has...

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.54/bushel, up $0 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.8975/bushel, down $0.075 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.57/bushel, up $0.0175 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $311.7/short ton, down $0.5 from ye...

livestock

Greeley JBS Beef Plant on Strike

The JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, went on strike yesterday. Today is day two of the labor shutdown. The Greeley plant can process about 6,000 head per day, or 5 percent of the U.S. beef supply. This is a major disruption. Notably, it comes on the heels of Tyson closing its plant in Lexin...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins turned positive for the first time since late last year as returns improved to $53/head last week. The turnaround was driven by a strong increase in the boxed beef cutout, which rose to $388.16/cwt, while fed cattle prices declined further on the week. The threat of the labo...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.54/bushel, up $0 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.8975/bushel, down $0.075 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.57/bushel, up $0.0175 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $311.7/short ton, down $0.5 from ye...

livestock

Greeley JBS Beef Plant on Strike

The JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colorado, went on strike yesterday. Today is day two of the labor shutdown. The Greeley plant can process about 6,000 head per day, or 5 percent of the U.S. beef supply. This is a major disruption. Notably, it comes on the heels of Tyson closing its plant in Lexin...

livestock

Livestock Industry Margins

Beef packer margins turned positive for the first time since late last year as returns improved to $53/head last week. The turnaround was driven by a strong increase in the boxed beef cutout, which rose to $388.16/cwt, while fed cattle prices declined further on the week. The threat of the labo...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 26 Corn closed at $4.54/bushel, down $0.1325 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Wheat closed at $5.9725/bushel, down $0.165 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soybeans closed at $11.5525/bushel, down $0.7 from yesterday's close.  May 26 Soymeal closed at $312.2/short ton, down $10...

Image
From WPI Consulting

Forecasting developments in production agriculture

On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.

Search World Perspectives

Sign In to World Perspectives

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up