Pre-WASDE positioning sent the grains complex lower today, while livestock futures were under pressure from profit taking and lackluster cash markets. Fund managers are worried tomorrow’s report will be a repeat of the August WASDE and are paring back any long positions. It’s tough to be bullish when the market almost uniformly expects record U.S. yields. Corn and soybeans are near contract lows, which has farmers and funds largely sidelined from selling. In turn, that is leaving end users to extend coverage on what are now cheap prices. Hurricane Florence continues to barrel toward the Carolinas, threatening some of the most important barbecue-producing regions in the U.S. Beyond barbecue, however, the storm’s anticipate...
What You Need to Know Today: The corn and soybean markets closed slightly higher in low-volume trade. The wheat market was mixed, with HRW continuing its downward trek on improved moisture. As expected, the bearish cattle on feed report drove down cattle prices and pulled hogs down with it. Mi...
Monday, 25 May is a U.S. holiday, and both the markets and our office will be closed. Please note that the next issue of Ag Perspectives will be published on Tuesday, 26 May. The WPI staff wishes everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend...
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.