World Perspectives
livestock

Meat Packer Concentration – Again

We note that 11 state Attorneys General have asked the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to investigate the anti-trust and price fixing implications of the high degree of concentration in the meat packing industry. This request was seconded by several members of Congress including Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). We note this with some bemusement. Among all of the commercial sectors of the U.S. economy, meat packing has surely been the most investigated industry in history.   There is a very high level of concentration in the meat packing industry. Four companies, Tysons Foods, Cargill, JBS and National Beef, currently account for more than 80 percent of beef production in the U.S. Such large concentration in the hands of a few compani...

WPI on Twitter

Related Articles
feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for period March 15-21, 2024. Wheat:  Net sales of 339,600 metric tons (MT) for 2023/2024 were down noticeably from the previous week, but up noticeably from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 408,900 MT were up 3 percent from the previous week, but do...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 24 Corn closed at $4.2675/bushel, down $0.0575 from yesterday's close.  May 24 Wheat closed at $5.475/bushel, up $0.04 from yesterday's close.  May 24 Soybeans closed at $11.925/bushel, down $0.065 from yesterday's close.  May 24 Soymeal closed at $339/short ton, down $0.8 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Acreage Outlooks Weaken Corn, Soy; Wheat Gains on Firmer Russian Offers

Trade at the CBOT was mostly lower heading into Thursday’s Grain Stocks and Prospective Plantings reports from the USDA, but wheat futures managed to find midday support and settle higher. Wheat’s strength came from another week of cautious gains in Russian FOB offers, which is seen...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Export Sales

Export Sales and Shipments for period March 15-21, 2024. Wheat:  Net sales of 339,600 metric tons (MT) for 2023/2024 were down noticeably from the previous week, but up noticeably from the prior 4-week average. Export shipments of 408,900 MT were up 3 percent from the previous week, but do...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

May 24 Corn closed at $4.2675/bushel, down $0.0575 from yesterday's close.  May 24 Wheat closed at $5.475/bushel, up $0.04 from yesterday's close.  May 24 Soybeans closed at $11.925/bushel, down $0.065 from yesterday's close.  May 24 Soymeal closed at $339/short ton, down $0.8 fr...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Acreage Outlooks Weaken Corn, Soy; Wheat Gains on Firmer Russian Offers

Trade at the CBOT was mostly lower heading into Thursday’s Grain Stocks and Prospective Plantings reports from the USDA, but wheat futures managed to find midday support and settle higher. Wheat’s strength came from another week of cautious gains in Russian FOB offers, which is seen...

BRICS Grain Exchange; EU Policy Foibles; Yen Implosion

BRICS Grain Exchange Russia is reportedly pushing other BRICS members to use the bloc as a grain exchange in competition with the West. The assertion is that these countries already control 42 percent of the grain trade. Add the new members like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the UAE, plus other...

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