There is federal budget pressure on the 2018 Farm Bill. Unlike with most past farm bills, though, it could be real this time.Since 1977 when the then-named Food Stamp program was added to the farm bill, the U.S. federal budget has been in a deficit every farm bill year. In fact, the only two times since 1960 that it hasn’t been were 1999 and again in 2000, immediately prior to the 2002 Farm Bill. Moreover, that particular farm bill was a free-wheeling, high-spending affair. Then-President George W. Bush was trying to fund the “War on Terror” immediately after the 11 September attacks on the U.S. He was willing to give Congress just about anything it asked for at that time in order to get votes and support for military and homeland security...
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.