The U.S. dairy industry has suffered supply/demand imbalances for decades, but the problem continues to be generated on the supply side of the equation. While the population has been growing at a little over one-half percent per year, cheese consumption has been expanding at a 2 percent annual rate. Even more striking has been the demand for butter. The rebound for butter began with the government campaign against trans fats for health reasons. In 2013, the U.S. FDA declared that trans fats, which were used in making margarine, were no longer generally regarded as safe. Since that time, demand for butter instead of margarine has been growing at an annual rate of 2.25 percent. ...
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.