Meat prices have been distorted ever since COVID struck and the contortions continue despite the pandemic now being considered endemic. The pandemic itself caused dislocations with supply tightened due to labor shortages at the same time stimulus payments enabled consumers to buy higher grade animal protein for the home. Pre-pandemic, pork prices were 36 percent less than beef, and broiler prices were 51 percent less than pork and 69 percent lower than beef. Looking at roughly equivalent retail prices currently, boneless breast meat has moved to being 3.3 percent more expensive than pork chops, and 52 percent less than the all-steak price. The recent consumer shift to lower priced animal protein appears to have over-shot on poultry and skip...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
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.