Today’s trading brought corn and wheat back down to earth based on possible improved rains next week. Emphasis on possible since nothing is assured. Such a dry start is usually not the opening to a bin buster and all eyes are first on tomorrow’s weekly Drought Monitor report, next on Friday’s WASDE report, and then on Monday’s newest Crop Progress report. Doubtful weather conditions are global. China’s wheat and corn crops in Henan province are waterlogged. Some of Ukraine’s cropland is also waterlogged, though not due to Mother Nature. Australia and parts of Southeast Asia are likely facing drought from El Nino. And southern Europe remains too dry. Ironically, Russia has escaped its historical pro...
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.