GOOD MORNING, Prices started mixed overnight, but mostly on the defensive led by beans and soyoil futures. This morning we are seeing another round of end-of-week profit-taking with bean, meal, and wheat prices all at four-week lows. Bean basis continues to go lower as bids move to November futures. The slow-down for April crush and basis weakness are resulting in lower trade, as is a correction in global vegoils. The market is now pricing in better weather, higher acreage, and potential larger supplies, vs. robust demand and firm cash. For the grains, the corn basis remains firm. Corn should remain firm on pullbacks despite lower trading ranges, and would continue to cover shorts or find places to own...
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.