India's 2013/14 vegetable oil imports grew by 12 percent to a record high of 11.82 MMT and are expected to rise further. GOI has raised the import duties on crude and refined edible oils by 5 percent to 7.5 and 15 percent, respectively. Cotton Surplus Likely to Keep Prices Down The Cotton Association of India (CAI) now forecasts the country's 2014/15 (beginning 1 October 2014) cotton production at 40.025 million (170 kg) bales, slightly under the November estimate of 40.2 million bales. 2013/14's crop was slightly higher at 40.725 million bales. The low production in the central region led to the overall drop. Nonetheless, the total cotton supply is estimated at 47.215 million bales. Allocating 30.6 million bales of that for domestic cons...
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.
What You Need to Know Today: Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans continued to accelerate, with USDA reporting another 558 KMT sold to China and 236 KMT to unknown destinations. Combined with sales announced Wednesday and Thursday, the latest purchases bring the three-day total to approximately...