Now that a budget agreement has been struck that will avoid another government shutdown, Congress will be in session for three more days before the August recess. Nonetheless, this promises to be a busy week. First, it is widely expected that USDA will announce the rules for the second iteration of the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments. USDA had been indicating late last week that the plan was being held until the latest planting report which was released yesterday, and that there could be some flexibility for at least minimal payments to prevented planting acres, but the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) signed off on the rule on 12 July. It is all very confusing, just like the structure of the plan...
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.