Payment Limits: The COVID Food Assistance Program (CFAP) rule to provide direct payments to producers has been submitted by USDA to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for final review. That means it will be issued soon – though it was expected a couple of weeks ago. The one known aspect of the payments is that they will not be subject to the limits set by the 2018 farm bill of $125,000 per commodity or $250,000 per producer. It is not clear what the new caps will be, but they will be greater than the statutory caps that applied to the trade-related MFP payments. While Congress works on the next COVID-19 relief package, one of the proposals put forth would increase funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to $68 milli...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
USDA’s monthly cattle on feed report was released today. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity amounted to 11.6 million head, 102 percent of last year. Source: USDA, WPI Placements were up, but part of that is attributable to persistent drought c...
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.