As Gary Blumenthal reported yesterday, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of USDA. As Gary noted, she “rolled” through the hearings “poised, confident, charming” and had done the groundwork as she pointed out in her opening statement noting that she had already met with every member of the Committee. The following is more about what she said, where she’s coming from, and where she expects to guide USDA. Rollins gave an opening statement about her background, her perspective on agriculture, and her previous roles. Those included being a policy staffer in the office of former Texas Governor Rick Perry, serving at the Texas P...
What You Need to Know Today: A drier early-October forecast should help harvest accelerate across areas of the western Corn Belt that have been running behind, adding pressure to soybeans and soymeal today as concerns over near-term physical tightness begin to ease. Markets are still digesting...
USDA released its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report for 1 September last week. The total inventory of hogs and pigs in the U.S. was 74.3 million head, reflecting a 1 percent decrease from the previous year but a 1.6 percent increase from June 2026, when the June inventory was at its lowest since 2...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector seeing a sharp correction from its recent rally. Smaller vessel classes are steady/firmer but the Chinese Golden Week Holiday is pressuring near-term rates. Dry bulk freight did not receive the bullish boost it...
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.