World Perspectives

Reigning in the Fed

While monetary policy and the Federal Reserve itself are on the radar screen of policy makers who follow financial issues, the entire subject is still somewhat arcane. However, the new scrutiny is not going away.U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) is now $16.768 trillion. Currently, the U.S. Federal Reserve balance sheet is $4.4 trillion (about 25 percent of GDP) and equal to the size of the U.S. economy in 1986. The growth in the Fed's assets came primarily through the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) in 2008 and the powers that legislation gave the central bank.Most of the growth in 2009 was attributable to emergency lending to financial institutions. In 2009 and 2010 when quantitative easing started, it was in federal agency debt mort...

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farm-inputs

Phosphate and Potash Added to Critical Minerals List

The Department of the Interior has added phosphate and potash, two key fertilizer ingredients, to the official Critical Minerals List. They are part of 60 minerals deemed vital to the U.S. economy and national security, with 10 of those being newly listed, that face potential risks from disrupt...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Pre-Weekend Bounce on a Mixed Week

Outside markets continued their downbeat on Friday but ag futures had a few recoveries from yesterday’s trouncing.  Corn closed lower for the day and the week.  The soy complex closed optimistically for the day but had a mixed week. Winter wheat closed lower on the day and the...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2725/bushel, down $0.015 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.2775/bushel, down $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.17/bushel, up $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $317.1/short ton, up $4.4 f...

farm-inputs

Phosphate and Potash Added to Critical Minerals List

The Department of the Interior has added phosphate and potash, two key fertilizer ingredients, to the official Critical Minerals List. They are part of 60 minerals deemed vital to the U.S. economy and national security, with 10 of those being newly listed, that face potential risks from disrupt...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Market Commentary: Pre-Weekend Bounce on a Mixed Week

Outside markets continued their downbeat on Friday but ag futures had a few recoveries from yesterday’s trouncing.  Corn closed lower for the day and the week.  The soy complex closed optimistically for the day but had a mixed week. Winter wheat closed lower on the day and the...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

Summary of Futures

Dec 25 Corn closed at $4.2725/bushel, down $0.015 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Wheat closed at $5.2775/bushel, down $0.0775 from yesterday's close.  Jan 26 Soybeans closed at $11.17/bushel, up $0.095 from yesterday's close.  Dec 25 Soymeal closed at $317.1/short ton, up $4.4 f...

feed-grains soy-oilseeds wheat

WPI Crop Balance Sheet Forecasts

Ahead of next week’s USDA’s Crop Production and WASDE reports, WPI offers our latest projections for the corn, soybean, and wheat balance sheets. The key findings from this effort are that corn and soybean supplies are set to expand on upward yield revisions. Too, demand for corn an...

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From WPI Consulting

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.

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