BSE Update The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is asking USDA for information about the timeline of the discovery and announcement of the latest case of BSE. On 24 April USDA sent an e-mail at 1:45 p.m. announcing a news conference for 2:15 p.m. on a yet-to-be-announced topic. The announcement made at the conference was to be embargoed until 3:00 p.m.; the news was on the wires well before 3:00 p.m. Moreover, at about mid-day rumors had circulated in the market prior to the announcement, forcing cattle down the limit. By 12:45 p.m., USDA was receiving inquiries about the discovery of BSE, forcing it to move up its announcement from the originally scheduled release date. CFTC wants to get a better handle on how the news leak...
Key Takeaways: President Trump announced $8 billion in additional agricultural assistance through the Harvest Fuel Relief Program, as USDA projects farm fuel and oil expenses will increase 28.8 percent in 2026. The package follows $12 billion in earlier relief, while government farm payments w...
Key Takeaways: A student group from the University of Chicago is protesting to bring back onion futures trading. Trading in onion futures was banned in 1958 following a spectacular bout of market manipulation that resulted in a corner of the physical market. The ban on onion futures led t...
Beef packer margins deteriorated to $141/head last week, down $55 from the prior week as fed cattle prices strengthened while the Choice cutout remained nearly unchanged. The cutout held near $373/cwt while fed cattle prices climbed $4/cwt to $224/cwt, narrowing processor profits. Despite the d...
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.