CBOT markets were sharply higher overnight after news of a pending U.S.-China trade deal. Soybeans posted an amazing 13½ cent overnight gain while corn finished the night session up 5½ cents. Wheat added 3-5 cents in similarly enthusiastic trade. The day session saw prices move higher and continue the overnight strength but buying interest waned at mid-day due to a lack of further details (specifically, how tariffs will be handled) for the new U.S.-China agreement. While the day started with unquestioning fervor, the mood turned to uncertainty and left the CBOT with a choppy feel heading into the close. The news of the day was, of course, the phase one trade deal agreed to by the U.S and China. Details are still...
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.