World Perspectives
biofuel energy

2018 Energy Outlook

The ability to export crude oil, which was granted to U.S. producers in December 2015, is still a game changer in the energy markets. Global crude oil averaged $54/barrel in 2017, up $10/barrel from the previous year. That increase is fairly limited, however, given the 4.5 percent cut in production that members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) each agreed during the fourth quarter of 2016 to target. OPEC’s production averaged 32.5 million barrels/day in 2017, down 0.2 million barrels/day from the year before. Its members agreed on 30 November 2017 to extend the production cuts through the end of 2018, and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is forecasting the average price for Brent crude will b...

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Market Commentary: Ags Sink on Risk-Off Day Despite Weaker Dollar

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

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Barriers are Good; Squeezed in the Trade War; Calculating the Impacts; Tax is a Tax

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Ags Sink on Risk-Off Day Despite Weaker Dollar

The CBOT was higher overnight as the U.S. dollar fell to a three-year low, but the day session saw the major ag market slip lower and end in the red with pressure from macroeconomic markets increasing. In addition to sparking trade wars with nearly every major U.S. trading partner, U.S. Preside...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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May 25 Corn closed at $4.8175/bushel, down $0.005 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Wheat closed at $5.385/bushel, down $0.1025 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soybeans closed at $10.295/bushel, down $0.07 from yesterday's close.  May 25 Soymeal closed at $292.9/short ton, down $2...

Barriers are Good; Squeezed in the Trade War; Calculating the Impacts; Tax is a Tax

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feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Mercosur Regional Analysis

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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.

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