Tightening Payment Limitation The 2018 Farm Bill expanded the types of family members that are eligible for USDA farm payments to include first cousins, nieces, and nephews. Years of effort by politicians like U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to limit the largess to active farmers seemed a failure. Now the Trump Administration has offered an administrative restriction on who gets taxpayer dollars. Exercising its ability to define other aspects of eligibility, USDA is proposing that payees must perform at least 500 hours or at least 25 percent of a farm’s management work to get government subsidies. The move responds to a Government Accountability Office report that found a farm where 16 of 22 members claimed to provide act...
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
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.