Recent Developments in Ukraine Approximately 5 percent of the total grain exported from Ukraine is shipped from Mariupol and Berdiansk seaports in the Azov Sea. Martial law has been imposed for 30 days in 10 regions of Ukraine, including all those where seaports are located. The current situation has prompted comments from authorities and market experts there. Mykola Horbachov, president of the Ukrainian Grain Association: If Azov Sea becomes war zone, the Ukrainian sea ports located there will be lost for export of grain. Although the volume of grain shipped from Mariupol and Berdiansk is just 5% of total grain export, redirecting grain cargoes to other sea ports will create additional strain for Urkzaliznytsia (Ukrainian Railways) that...
What You Need to Know Today: Commodities were mostly lower across the board today after yesterday’s Federal Reserve meeting hinted at a potential interest rate hike later in 2026. The dollar index reached its highest level in over a year, and a strong dollar makes U.S. agricultural expor...
Key Market Insights Geopolitical Limbo: Geopolitical risk remained a key driver across global commodity markets today. President Trump stated that the Iran memorandum of understanding is not yet final and warned that military action could resume if negotiations fail. Both sides continue w...
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.