As I write, a nice, gentle rain is falling outside our offices.  This is just the third rain in about one month.  Here in the US Midwest, we are suffering one of the worst droughts in decades.  This drought is having a severe effect on crops, especially corn and soybeans.  Both corn and soybeans reached […]

In general, we are expecting rather stable pricing through 2012.  Some ingredients have risen in price, while others have fallen. Potato: There was a poor potato harvest this year.  As a result, potato prices have risen. Barley & Milo: Prices for these grains are also up. Corn: The heavy rainfall and heat in some areas […]

There is a lot of confusion as to what various terms associated with pet food mean.  Some terms have legal definitions and some terms are just marketing concepts.  Let’s start with terms that have actual legal definitions. Organic: There are two organic classifications – USDA Certified Organic and Organic.  To be USDA Certified Organic, a […]

All too often, I hear that one or another of the super premium pet foods we represent is “too expensive.”  My first response is that there is a price to be paid for quality.  Quality ingredients, low-temperature cooking, and quality packaging all cost money. Upon further reflection, it really seems that quality super premium pet […]

We expect pet food prices to increase about 5% during the first quarter of 2011.  The primary reasons are: a) Weak Dollar b) Poor harvest in Russia c) Increased demand for commodities from China and India Weak Dollar The weak Dollar means that US commodities are relatively inexpensive on the world market.  This results in […]

APHIS – We Are from the Government and We Are Here to Hinder You Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service – APHIS.  An organization that strikes fear into the heart of most pet food and pet treat exporters.  APHIS’ clear mission appears to be to obstruct and reduce American exports of pet foods and treats.  […]

There are reports that container ship capacity will soon be increasing which will hopefully ease the difficulty of booking containers. It may even help reduce current freight rates but there is no guarantee of that. It has been reported that earlier this month, four steamship lines took delivery of ships larger than 8,000 TEUs (twenty […]

We are from the Government and we are here to help you. In a previous posting, I complained about American access to the Taiwan market.   But that is only half the story.  What is the US government doing to promote the interests of American pet food companies in countries such as Taiwan where we have […]

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover – The Whole Dog Journal and Dry Pet Foods The Whole Dog Journal (WDJ) did dog owners a great service by directing our attention to the ingredients panels on bags of dry dog foods; helping us to determine which ingredients are to be preferred and which ingredients to […]