Fake War News The U.S. and China announced a resumption of bilateral trade negotiations, supposedly calming markets even though nothing has changed about the dynamics working against a deal. Fundamentally, the two sides disagree and nothing this past weekend has closed the gap. The announcement temporarily placates markets only to the degree that the fight will not be escalated in the near-term. The larger, troubling aspect for Chinese President Xi Jinping is citizens protesting for civil liberties in Hong Kong. Mr. Trump could exploit the situation, particularly if his China hawks recommend it, but his tendency has been to downplay such grassroot developments. Another Fund American agriculture is being pummeled by a trade war and...
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.
We have described the long-term investment climate in crop and livestock production, using data primarily from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The data provided background on the current investment climate and outlook for agricultural capital formation. Our conclusion was that investment...
WPI Grain Prices and Freight Rate App Note: you can also visit the app directly by clicking here. Supplemental Information The section below offers a concise view of the options available in the current version of the WPI FOB Price and Freight Rate app, along with a short “How To”...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk freight markets are higher this week as activity in Asia and off the ECSA picks up. President Trump extended the Jones Act waiver for another 90 days this week, allowing foreign-flagged vessels to transport oil and other goods between U.S. ports. A container...
One of the curious developments from the August WASDE was USDA’s handling of the European, Russian, and Ukrainian corn and wheat balance sheets. The EU has battled significant drought and heat this year, while Russia and Ukraine are increasingly locked in a battle for control over the Bla...