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Market Commentary

To no one’s surprise, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) raised its interest rate a quarter-percent to a still historically low 1.75 percent. This increase, the sixth since December 2015, was approved unanimously by the voting members of the committee. The Fed also indicated it would continue to shrink its portfolio of bonds. Both moves reflect confidence in the state of the U.S. economy. The Fed again indicated that it expected to raise the interest rate two more times in 2018 for a total of three, but it also now estimates there will be another three hikes next year. That is one more for 2019 than previously suggested, another indication of confidence in the U.S. economy. Today’s rate increas...

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Tomorrow, 29 March is a holiday for the CBOT/CME markets in observance of Good Friday. Please note that our office will also be closed. The next Ag Perspectives will be published Monday, 1 April. ...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

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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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