The underlying fundamental issue with crop insurance is its actuarial soundness, and gaining higher levels of coverage through premium subsidies has been a key leveraging tool to bring more acres with better actuarial histories into the program.As commodity markets went on a multi-year bull run over the past few years, crop insurance costs grew accordingly, exceeding $8 billion. Together with the 2011 renegotiation of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement, this brought new attention to the federal crop insurance program and the various subsidies imbedded in it. While the agriculture sector rallied around crop insurance as the new, primary risk management tool in the last farm bill debate, outside factions that included budget hawk public...
The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea.[2] The species is not truly migratory but it sometimes travels large distances to find food and water, especiall...
The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain areas of Africa (and historically, Arabia) and is the largest living species of bird. The common ostrich is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members of the genus St...
A pika (/ˈpaɪkə, ˈpiːkə/ PY-kə, PEE-kə[3][4]) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.[5] The large-eared pi...
Kolkwitzia amabilis /kɒlˈkwɪtsiə əˈmæbɪlɪs/,[2] commonly known as beauty bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is the sole species in genus Kolkwitzia.[1] It is a deciduous shrub grown as an ornamental plant. In China, where it originated, the plant is cal...
From WPI Consulting
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.