WTO Foil Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) added arguments to his call for a U.S. withdrawal from the WTO but they are not necessarily good ones. Hawley will use procedural requirements to get a Senate vote on WTO withdrawal and he will lose badly. The House has far more trade skeptics than the Senate and past efforts at withdrawal in that body managed to get just 12 to 19 percent support. Look for half that number at best in a Senate vote. His arguments reinforce President Trump’s complaints about the global trade body, but they are purely rhetorical. His latest is that the WTO limits the amount of subsidies that can be given to farmers. This is true but to a far less degree than the limits it places on most other countries. Moreove...
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
Accountability and a comprehensive approach to export programming
WPI’s team helped construct a strategic approach to develop, implement, and track promotional activities in 8 key regions across the globe for an agricultural export association. With continued progress measurement and strategic advisory services from WPI, the association has seen its ROI from investments in promotional programming increase by 44 percent over the past 5 years. Not only does this type of holistic approach to organizational strategy provide measurable results to track and analyze, it fosters top-down and bottom-up organizational accountability.