Ag commodities started the day higher with corn leading the way on a short covering rally. Positioning ahead of the WASDE was the name of the game today with many traders straddling/strangling the market in expectation of volatility in either direction. Trading volumes were slightly below average, and, except for soybeans, the markets traded either side of unchanged with notable uncertainty. The weekend weather looks broadly favorable with precipitation across the bulk of the Corn Belt and modest temperatures. Beyond that, however, the forecast turns warmer and drier in the six-10 and eight-14-day forecasts. Notably, the beleaguered eastern Corn Belt is forecast to be drier than normal beyond next week. Outside markets are mixed heading i...
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.