Coverage under SCO is available in 2015 for a few select crops in a few designated counties. Specific requirements must also be met, but there will be changes in the program starting next year.USDA has a list of crops under consideration to be added to those eligible for the new Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) as provided under the 2014 Farm Bill. As we reported on 30 March, the House Agriculture Committee's subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management held a hearing on the implementation of the farm bill with reports from the Farm Services Agency and the Risk Management Agency (RMA). One of the issues to arise was the implementation of SCO policies.In accordance with the farm bill, SCO is a new buy-up crop insurance prog...
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...
Key Market Insights Macro markets delivered a full whipsaw today. Early in the session, crude oil had rallied back above $100/barrel as traders priced renewed concern over the U.S.-Iran standoff and potential supply risk through the Strait of Hormuz. That strength helped pull grains off their o...
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.