Farm bill proposals are emerging from producer groups and legislators alike, but there are questions. Will USDA put forth a farm bill plan? Will acreage idling expand under conservation programs? Will sugar policy finally be altered?USDA’s farm bill input - The Trump transition team indicated that the new USDA would likely submit a farm bill proposal (or at least an outline) to Congress during debate. With the delay in Secretary-designate Sonny Perdue’s nomination, that is looking increasingly unlikely. There is a dearth of political appointees, and those at the agency are on 120-day assignments. Most of the acting undersecretaries and deputy undersecretaries are career staffers moved up to the spots on an interim basis. Moreover, last mont...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
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.