The CBOT was mostly higher heading into the April WASDE on Tuesday, though the soy complex lagged the grain markets’ gains. Wheat futures were higher after Russia threatened last Friday to essentially ignore the Black Sea grain export corridor deal unless barriers to its own exports are removed. That sent wheat higher and the policy risks in the Black Sea seem never ending amid the ongoing war. Corn futures were higher as well, though fundamental reasoning was light, and short-covering was blamed for most of the day’s higher trade. Cattle markets posted strong gains and fresh contract highs to start the week after last week’s cash trade posted new, record highs. Funds were net buyers in grains and livestock markets for the...
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.