The weather in 2012 was dramatic, to say the least. The U.S. had a record drought in its heartland and a hurricane, dubbed Superstorm Sandy, on the East Coast. Both were declared federal emergencies, and both will trigger federal aid passed by Congress. Because they are designated as "emergencies," additional spending does not fall under the federal budget and its rules. This includes any application of the pay-as-you-go rule, known in Washington parlance as PAYGO.The process by which the House of Representatives passed the bill for Hurricane Sandy relief may be instructive of the upcoming farm bill debate as well as future farm and disaster debates to come. First, the House split the package into two parts: immediate relief and long-term...
Key Takeaways: Brazil confirmed a Newcastle disease outbreak at a commercial turkey farm in Santa Catarina on 18 October, raising concerns about potential disruptions to poultry exports despite the outbreak being confined to a single facility thus far. Mexico and Malaysia have imposed nationwi...
Yesterday, Alberta held a referendum on whether to begin the process toward independence from Canada. With more than one million votes counted as of early Tuesday morning, around 77 percent supported remaining in Canada, and 23 percent voted to start the process of separation, according to unof...
What You Need to Know Today: Harvest pressure in the U.S. sent corn and soybeans lower as supplies increased and there were signs USDA’s upward revisions to yields in the October WASDE could be close to right. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated over the weekend, with Ukrai...
From WPI Consulting
Infrastructure investment due diligence
On behalf of a Canadian oilseed processer WPI's team provided market analysis, econometric modeling and financial due diligence in support of a $24 million-dollar investment in a Ukrainian crush plant. Consistent with WPI's findings, local production to supply the plant and the facility's output have expanded exponentially since the investment. WPI has conducted parallel work on behalf of U.S., South American and European clients, both private and public, in the agri-food space.