Russian Grain Markets: 18-22 February 2019 Domestic grain prices fluctuated insignificantly, but the average milling wheat export price dropped $6/MT to $236/MT FOB Black Sea, and purchase prices fell to $207-209/MT CPT-Black Sea port. The average feed barley export price decreased to $221/MT FOB Black Sea, but the average purchase price grew to $189/MT CPT-Black Sea port. GEOGRAPHICALLY 3rd grade soft milling wheat prices fell in Central (-$0.20/MT), the South (-$0.60/MT) and Volga Valley (-$0.70/MT) but grew in Black Soil (+$0.20/MT), Ural (+$3.80/MT) and Siberia (+$0.80/MT). 4th grade soft milling wheat prices remained unchanged in Central but decreased in the South (-$0.50/MT) and Volga Valley (-$0.40/MT). Meanwhile, they rose in Bl...
What You Need to Know Today: Cattle futures extended their sharp selloff Friday as weakening cash cattle prices, deteriorating feedlot profitability, and reduced packer demand continued to weigh on the market. The inability of futures to sustain a rally following last week's bullish Cattle on...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
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.