The U.S. government shutdown is now entering its second week. It is a symptom of the inability of Congress and the administration to come to terms on a federal budget this year, especially with regard to the 2011 Budget Control Act (BCA) that called for a path of reduced federal spending over 10 years. Yet, the impact of the 2011 BCA is already in place as it has curbed discretionary spending and caused the sequestration that went into effect in early 2013. Additionally, there was a built-in tax increase – the expiration of many of the so-called Bush tax cuts. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), under a freeze of current law: ...the budget deficit will shrink this year to $642 billion, CBO estimates, the smallest shortfal...
What You Need to Know Today: Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans continued to accelerate, with USDA reporting another 558 KMT sold to China and 236 KMT to unknown destinations. Combined with sales announced Wednesday and Thursday, the latest purchases bring the three-day total to approximately...
Key Takeaways: With the fall calf run now upon us, producers are finally getting a glimpse of what their realized profits will be for 2026. Some producers may have already obtained a strong estimate of 2026 revenues, especially if calves were forward sold in, for example, the mid-summer...
As fall begins, wild migratory birds are starting their seasonal migration. That has the industry and government officials worried about the potential spread, again, of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Some members of Congress have called for the United States to be prepared for a pote...
Illuminating the value of technical research
On behalf of a commodity producer organization, WPI evaluated the outputs from a project that featured a $5 million investment into technical research over multiple years. WPI’s team captured the results of this extensive effort and synthesized them for presentation to the organization’s governing board; among the findings uncovered and presented for the first time was the development of genomic traits proven, via rigorous testing, to provide crop yield advantages of 50 percent or more to U.S. farmers in times of drought. Capturing measurable results from long-term efforts can be challenging. Educating clients on the dynamics of success measurement when quantifiable results are not readily available requires deep client-consultant collaboration and an ability to consider both near- and long-term client aspirations with market/policy dynamics – attributes that WPI brings to every consulting engagement.