SOTU and Food Safety: President Obama is expected to highlight many horrors of sequestration during his State of the Union address tonight. The goal is to goad reluctant Republicans into raising taxes to fund ongoing government programs. The fight over food safety inspections has been contrary to such debates in the past. During past sequesters, presidents have declared food safety, air traffic controllers and others as part of an essential government function to protect public safety, and thus exempted from furloughs. President Obama is saying that such inspections will not occur and thus Americans will be at greater risk of foodborne illness. Curiously, the White House cites the recent outbreaks of salmonella and E. coli, though those o...
What You Need to Know Today: Cattle futures extended their sharp selloff Friday as weakening cash cattle prices, deteriorating feedlot profitability, and reduced packer demand continued to weigh on the market. The inability of futures to sustain a rally following last week's bullish Cattle on...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: WPI’s new EU rapeseed crushing margin models point to weaker processing returns over the next four months due to higher rapeseed procurement costs and weaker product values. Statistical forecasts call for German crushing margins to decline from €181/MT to €...
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.