The government remains partially closed and apparently will continue to be into 2019. President Trump is dug in over his demand for funding of the proposed Mexican border wall, but he does not have the votes to obtain congressional approval. This leaves the status of the regular USDA reports in limbo, including possibly the 11 January mega-reports. The absence of daily/weekly data will show just how much the market relies on those reports. Meanwhile, negative comments from presidential advisor Peter Navarro about chances for a new trade agreement with China by the end of the “truce” in early March cast a pall over grain and soy markets today. Pre-opening calls were for higher grain and soy prices, but when they did open firmer...
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.