The new $16 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) direct payments from USDA will be unveiled tomorrow. Payments are targeted to be made in late May or early June. Late last week USDA held webinars about the program; it was targeted for producers who do not deal with local FSA offices frequently, which is a sign of the scope of the program’s coverage for ranchers and specialty crop producers. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) completed its review and signed off on the program on Friday. The big question is what the per recipient payment limit will be? Based on the guidelines of the 2018 farm bill, the trade related MFP payments had a limit of $125,000 per commodity and $250,000 per recipient. There is a 50/50 chan...
What You Need to Know Today: President Trump claimed the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was over, as both sides accused one another of violating the terms of the agreement. Commercial vessels are increasingly steering clear of the Strait of Hormuz as security risks escalate following Iran...
Key Takeaways: The CME Group is launching new 90 percent Lean Beef and 50 percent Lean Beef futures and options contracts in July. There are five key factors that must be present in physical markets and futures contract specifications for futures contracts to become successful. The two l...
Russian Grain Markets: 29 June-3 July 2026 The new marketing season has officially begun in Russia, although bearish sentiment has been concentrated in the southern regions closest to the Black Sea ports, where export demand has been weakest. Delays in grain deliveries to inland elevators have...
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.