Exports have traditionally played an important role in the supply and demand outlook each year for the three most important (as measured by planted area) U.S. field crops: wheat, corn and soybeans. Grain exports were an important part of U.S. aid to wartorn Europe immediately following the end of European hostilities in 1945. Assistance for the reconstruction of Europe continued under the more formalized Marshall Plan established in 1948. In 1954 Congress passed PL 480 authorizing USDA to make sales of U.S. grains to needy countries under concessional terms.Exports of wheat and other grains under PL 480 during the 1950s and 1960s were a major part of total U.S. grain exports during that period, especially when USDA began to use sales unde...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Tomorrow is the Juneteenth federal holiday, and the USDA, along with the rest of the federal government and the CME, will be closed, so the monthly Cattle on Feed report was released a day early. The total number of cattle on feed in feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity on 1 June amounted...
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.