The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the government of India’s regulator responsible for issuing clearances for field trials of GM crops and import/export of GM seeds, has deferred permits to import biotech soymeal and DDGS this year. Argentine Corn, Wheat and Sunflower Plantings Forecast After the government of Argentine President Mauricio Macri eliminated export taxes on wheat, corn and sunseed in December, it was noted here that plantings of those three crops might double in the next three years. This prediction was based on their increased profitability without export taxes and the desire of farmers to improve the crop rotations. They sowed twice as much land to soybeans as all other field crops in 2015/16 because of po...
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.