The CBOT ended mixed in low volume to start the week. The only market to see substantial action was soyoil as a bullish NOPA report and Russian attacks on Ukrainian sunflower oil storage facilities created some buying interest. Wheat and soybeans traded both sides of unchanged in quiet volume while corn drifted lower after a disappointing Export Inspection report. Funds were net sellers in corn and soybeans on Monday and are thought to have added modest length in wheat futures. In contrast to the grain markets, however, CME livestock futures rallied sharply with a $2.50+ rally in hogs and triple-digit gains in cattle futures following strength in the cash markets. U.S. grain Export Inspections were a mixed bag for the CBOT this week with t...
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.