Good moisture has enabled Australia to produce a record sized wheat crop. Due to proximity, Australia largely serves Asian markets and its wheat sales to China are up 158 percent. These sales have occured despite Chinese restrictions on many other Australian farm products. Trade ministers from the two countries have not met in over three years due to a diplomatic disagreement. However, China can buy Australian wheat at a 16 percent discount to wheat from the U.S. World wheat and U.S. wheat in particular looks set to get cheaper as record high prices lures increased production. Attracted by a record high farmgate price and lower input costs than corn or soybeans, a survey of U.S. farmers by Farm Futures magazine indicates they plan to incre...
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.