Where do livestock issues fit into the coming farm bill debate? With the exception of dairy programs, livestock is always a moving target. In the 1996 farm bill, some livestock programs were included in the miscellaneous title; in 2008, there was a free-standing livestock title, which included the controversial amendments to the Packers and Stockyards Act setting new terms for swine and poultry contracts but directing USDA to propose rules – the infamous GIPSA rules – to implement. This issue is ongoing with new rules coming out of the Biden Administration 15 years later. The 2014 farm bill added three disaster/risk management programs: forage disaster program, livestock indemnity, and emergency assistance. It also includ...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
From WPI Consulting
Forecasting developments in production agriculture
On behalf of a private U.S. agricultural technology provider, WPI’s team generated an econometric model to forecast the movement of concentrated corn production north and west from the traditional U.S. Corn Belt. WPI’s model has subsequently provided quantitative support to a multi-million-dollar investment into short-season corn variety development. WPI’s methodology included a series of interviews with regional grain elevators and seed consultants. Emphasizing outreach and communication with stakeholders who possess intimate sectoral knowledge – on-the-ground insights – is a regular component of WPI’s methodologies, made possible by WPI’s ever-growing network of industry contacts.