The CBOT pulled back again on Tuesday with only soyoil and the livestock contracts finding their way to higher ground. Funds continued to liquidate their net long positions in corn and soybeans while extending a short SRW wheat position. Fundamental news that hit the wires Tuesday seemed to all be bearish the U.S. grain markets, with additional troubles in the Mississippi River, no daily export sales announcements, and favorable progress in negotiations over the Ukraine export corridor. Additionally, rains are slated for Argentina and Brazil this week, which will aid crop development in those countries. This is the time of year when grain markets see seasonal pressure as the harvest bolsters new crop supplies, and the current export trouble...
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.