Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

As Wheat Inventories Continue to Dwindle, Take Cover with the Teucrium Wheat Fund (NYSE: WEAT)

Many of us may view investing as a necessity of life, but one of the actual necessities is the ability to procure food to feed ourselves and our families.  Wheat is a staple of the human race’s diet and its importance to the global population cannot be overstated.  The war that has been raging in Ukraine since late February has upended a major producer of the global wheat supply and the side effects could be catastrophic.

Recently news came out of the United Nations Security Council that the world could only have less than a ten-week supply of wheat in reserve due to the ongoing conflict.  Sara Menker, the CEO of a firm called Gro Intelligence that uses public and private data along with artificial intelligence to study global food trends, made a presentation to the U.N. that outlined just how dire the situation could be.  Together, Russia and Ukraine produce about one-third of the planet’s wheat supply but now that they are at war, that supply is threatened.

Black Sea ports are currently under blockade, preventing the shipping of wheat out of Ukraine to other parts of the world.  Ukrainian roads and railways have been destroyed and damaged due to the Russian invasion, further hampering the ability to move wheat from farms to export markets.  The ongoing fertilizer shortages and supply chain disruptions that the entire world is still dealing with due to the COVID pandemic only exacerbate the situation.

Source: CBOT
Source: CBOT

While the ten-week figure that Menker stated is alarming, the disruption to current plantings and subsequent harvests means that the world could be in for a long-term shock rather than just a short-term blip.  It is possible that other areas of the world can pick up the slack that is taken out of the system from Russia and Ukraine, but that scenario poses challenges as well.  Growing regions such as the United States and Brazil are currently facing drought conditions in large regions, so it appears that bringing additional grain to market will take more than one growing season.

For investors, a way to gain exposure to the commodity wheat price is the Teucrium Wheat Fund (NYSE: WEAT), which invests in benchmark wheat futures.  The fund has a market cap of about $500 million and has returned over 45% year to date.  The fund will most likely swing back and forth in tandem with any news about Black Sea grain ports in the near term as the world tries to determine if any grain and supplies can get in or out of Ukraine.  It is unclear when the ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict will end, however, adding WEAT to your portfolio could be a way to gain exposure to upward pressure on the commodity price.  It could also provide welcome diversification since most sectors of the stock, bond, and cryptocurrency markets have been hammered downward so far this year.

Disclosure: No position. Spotlight Growth has no relationships with any of the companies mentioned in this article and did not receive payment in any form for its creation. This is an opinion article and is not meant to be financial advise. We are not broker-dealers or investment professionals. Please conduct your own due diligence. For more information on our disclosures, please visit: https://spotlightgrowth.com/disclosures/

The post As Wheat Inventories Continue to Dwindle, Take Cover with the Teucrium Wheat Fund (NYSE: WEAT) appeared first on Spotlight Growth.

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.