Corn Argentina’s corn harvest advanced 9.2 percent last week, bringing the total harvest to 82 percent of the planted area. The harvest is 12 percent behind last year’s pace, but yields are above trendline, so large volumes are being originated daily. Farmer selling has increased considerable in the past few weeks and exporters are buying an average of 0.5 MMT each week. Exporters secured 0.8 MMT in the week ending 14 July, however, and 1 MMT for the week ending 21 July. There are no official numbers yet, but WPI expects another week of above-average origination for the last week of July. Farmers are harvesting large volumes and they need to keep selling (they sold 70 percent of the expected volume). Prices are st...
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: A drier early-October forecast should help harvest accelerate across areas of the western Corn Belt that have been running behind, adding pressure to soybeans and soymeal today as concerns over near-term physical tightness begin to ease. Markets are still digesting...
Key Takeaways: Dry bulk markets are mixed this week with the Capesize sector seeing a sharp correction from its recent rally. Smaller vessel classes are steady/firmer but the Chinese Golden Week Holiday is pressuring near-term rates. Dry bulk freight did not receive the bullish boost it...