Price of Non-Enforcement U.S. officials have warned Russia that its announced ban on imports of beef and pork with residues of the lean muscle enhancing drug ractopamine will be violating WTO obligations. Is the ban disappointing? Sure. Is it surprising? No. Codex approved a residue for ractopamine use more than five months ago and still 80 countries impose a complete ban against it. The U.S. and other countries using the beta agonist have not brought a dispute settlement case against any of these other countries, so why wouldn't Russia adopt the same prohibition? The failure to enforce sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards becomes a de facto right to individual interpretations of efficacy.The U.S. is wasting thousands of dollars th...
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.