A look at what is at stake for the meat, livestock, poultry and dairy sector with regard to NAFTA as well as if/how it might be renegotiated.As Gary Blumenthal wrote yesterday, several news reports indicated that the Trump administration was considering an executive order that would withdraw the U.S. from NAFTA. According to the folks we talked with yesterday from Capitol Hill, the K Street industry association crowd, and even state and local politicians, everyone was shocked at the news; they all lit up the White House phone lines and showed up in person to express their dismay. We learned that Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue was coming to the White House to discuss the matter.By the end of the day, the White House was walking back t...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
From WPI Consulting
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.