Dry conditions hurt HRW production in two of the last three years. It is looking more likely that this will again be the case in 2014. The only question is, to what extent?Wheat markets have staged a small recovery this week after more than $1.00 a bushel losses in futures markets over the past few months. Funds continue to hold record short positions in wheat futures. This week's rally was partly due to funds covering short positions, but that activity was not widespread or large. In fact, funds were sellers again yesterday.The market needs something to trigger short covering. Last Monday's state-by-state winter wheat crop condition ratings were the initial trigger. Key states like Texas and Oklahoma saw their crop ratings drop 25-30 perce...
What You Need to Know Today: U.S. weather is getting more attention this week as conditions vary greatly across the western, central, and eastern corn belts, with the different regions battling dryness and too much rain simultaneously. The ProFarmer Crop Tour began today in Indiana and Nebrask...
Unlike the 2022 fertilizer shock, today’s disruption is rooted less in rerouted trade flows and more in damaged production capacity, raw material constraints and uncertain recovery timelines. That makes this a longer-duration risk for U.S. agricultural producers and retailers who must sec...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.