cotton markets Archives - Page 2 of 4

14 Oct 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: OCTOBER 7 – 14

The USDA report this week did not make any major changes to the US corn crop estimating a yield of 171.9 bushels per acres, down .6 bu/ac from September. The lack of surprises in the report kept corn trading along its path of late with no major losses or gains. The ending stocks were raised on lower demand with a high USD and world recession fears looming. While the balance sheets remain tight for corn but the recession fears lowering demand eases the balance sheet worries, for now. Harvest is still rolling along with much of the US experiencing drought conditions and no major rains in the forecast for many areas to slow it down much.

Via Barchart

Beans were the surprise of the report with estimated yields falling to 49.8 bu/ac, down 0.7 bu/ac from the September report. US ending stocks were also cut with the yield lowering getting an appropriate reaction higher aster the report. The main concern for beans right now is low demand and the potential of a record Brazil bean crop. The strong USD weighs on bean exports with China being slow buyers, as we have said before to start feeling better about the direction of beans’ price, we need China to show up more often in larger quantities.

Via Barchart

Cotton continued lower this week following the USDA report that saw a bearish reaction despite lower production estimates. Cotton is still fighting the supply vs demand issue to figure out where to go. Right now, the demand, or lack thereof, is winning as prices have been moving lower over the last 2 months. World recession fears impact the demand for cotton with lower demand balancing the lower production. The lack of demand makes it difficult to see a sizeable move higher in the near term but for cotton to be planted in areas that could grow corn and soybeans these price levels will not be attractive. We could potentially see a sideways trade until there is more certainty economically (demand) going forward.

Via Barchart

Equity Markets

The equity markets were positive this week due to a massive rally on Thursday to gain back the week’s losses and some. Inflation came in hot, again, this week giving the Fed the go ahead to raise rates another 75 basis points in November if they want to with a 15% chance of a 100 point raise. The market rallied on the CPI number, despite it being high, showing that there is still room for bounces in a bear market. It is hard to find much good news in the market with the proposed deal between the Biden administration and Rail workers unions falling apart this week as well, bringing the possibility of shutdowns back.

Via Barchart

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week. As you can see much of the country is in drought conditions and will need moisture over the winter.

Podcast

Are the Fed’s hikes starting to dampen inflation? Oil, grains, and metals have all fallen from their highs. But the rarely spoken of Cotton market was one of the first to crack…falling from 1.58/lb to 0.95/lb in just a few short days. We’re digging into this sharp drop and just why and how Cotton is involved in seemingly everything with RCM’s very own cotton king, LOGIC advisors Ron Lawson.

In this episode, Ron is giving us the low down on how and why he believes it’s not Dr. Copper which acts as the global economic barometer, but how Cotton is the real Canary and leading indicator on global demand. In between those talks, we’re covering all things Cotton including crop insurance, irrigated vs dry land, the scam that was Pima and Egyptian Cotton, the process of cotton – which countries have it, which want it, ginning it, spinning it, dyeing it, global commodity merchant co’s pushing it around, and even micro-plastics, climate change, and how Cotton always flows to the cheapest labor source. Finally, we’re walking in some high Cotton putting Ron in the hot seat. Will we ever get the growth back? Tune in to get these critical hot takes — SEND IT!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

Whether you’re a producer, end-user, commercial operator, RCM AG Services helps protect revenues and control costs through its suite of hedging tools and network of buyers/sellers — Contact Ag Specialist Brady Lawrence today at 312-858-4049 or [email protected].

12 Aug 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 28 – AUGUST 12

Corn had had a good couple weeks heading into the August USDA report which gave updated ending stocks and yield numbers. The USDA lowered yield to 175.4 bu/acre from 177 in July (average estimate pre-report has 175.9). They raised old crop ending stocks but lowered 22/23 US and world ending stocks. Corn was rated 58% good/excellent this week, dropping 3% nationally from last week to help add bullish news to the corn market. The next month of weather will be important for kernel fill as the weather remains uncertain with some areas expecting hot and dry with others more seasonal weather in the ECB. Seeing world demand pick up would help corn whether it be China, ethanol demand, whatever it is the markets will gladly accept it.

Via Barchart

Beans have made small gains over the last 2 weeks and rallied after the report following an initial reaction lower. The initial reaction lower was due to the surprise of a higher yield with the USDA estimating the US crop at 51.9 bu/acre, well above the pre report estimates of 50.4. The slow export pace was also factored into the larger ending stocks but could speed up as beans out of the PNW to Asia are very competitive in the world market. The would be record yield still has ways to go with August and September weather still having mixed expectations.

Via Barchart

Cotton

Cotton was limit up after several up days following the report as the US’ crop continues to shrink with abandonment expected to continue to grow. 1.8 million bales ending stocks would be one of the lowest on record since 1960 and potentially problematic with world demand if we avoid a worldwide recession.

Via Barchart

Russia and Ukraine

Vessels carrying grain have left Ukraine but the first cargo was not accepted due to quality concerns at its intended location. While the grain was sitting for a long time this is not surprising as the quality was always going to be a concern. The newest problem is the Zaporzhye nuclear power plant, with the UN Security Council meeting to discuss what needs to be done to make sure there is a not a “catastrophe on a scale much greater than the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant”.

Equity Markets

The equity markets have seen a strong and steady rally higher with consumer sentiment rising. CPI came in at 8.5% again this month so the positive is it did not go up from last month, the negative is it is still at 8.5% YOY so this number will need to start going down before there is too much confidence we have peaked with the Fed still raising rates. Production at several offshore drilling sights were paused for a short period this week while a problem was fixed causing some volatility in the energy sector.

Via Barchart

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

15 Jul 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Fertilizer, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 8 – 14

Corn had a volatile week suffering losses to drop back to levels it saw at the start of last week. The USDA report on Tuesday this week wiped out the gains from last week after a bearish report. Ending stocks came in higher than expectations, not by much, but enough to be bearish. The recession fears affect every market and corn is no different as ending stocks will grow as less ethanol is produced and other uses will lower. The weather is the bullish factor in the market right now with hot and dry conditions expected across much of the corn belt during pollination. The longer this weather outlook stays, the more bullish it will become as yields struggle. Russia says they have agreed to a safe export corridor for Ukrainian grain.

Via Barchart

Soybeans took it on the chin post report just like corn. While the report numbers were not overly bearish the loss in crude oil and soy oil prices have weighed on beans lately. The weather issues for corn are not as big a concern for soybeans (yet) but will be something that could come up in the future. South American yields are still hard to get a full picture of with the USDA still differing from many estimates. China canceled a bean purchase on top of a poor export report for the week.

Via Barchart

Cotton has continued its move lower despite widespread abandonment in west Texas. This comes from the expect of demand destruction with a potential worldwide recession ahead and producers sitting on plenty of supply. Prices could be even worse if the US was having a good growing season, but the demand destruction along with a very strong US dollar does not help cotton. With the loss of many hedgers in the market due to the loss of crop, specs will be the market mover, trading on technical indicators, not fundamentals, for the foreseeable future and will decide the direction with mills on the sidelines too.

Via Barchart

Equity Markets

The equity markets continue their game of “recession or not” with the up and down trade. Another hot CPI number of 9.1% came in this week, the market was expecting it to be in the high 8s so this was still a bad number. While commodity prices have come down other areas of the market remain painful. Earnings this week were disappointing for banks kicking a market that was down and needed some positive news. The market will continue this back-and-forth game until everyone decides we are in the clear or the recession is unavoidable.

Via Barchart

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

There is an agriculture tug of war happening across the nation, impacting America’s farmland. Fertilizer prices are continuously fluctuating, and it has us taking a page the “The Clash” should we stay, or should we go?! And we aren’t the only ones. Many farmers are asking their agronomist and chemical salespeople, “what will fertilizer cost me the rest of the season, and what are my options if I don’t want to go all-in on my typical fertilizer treatment plan?”

In this episode of the Hedged Edge, we are joined by a special guest who needs no introduction in his local circle, Dick Stiltz. Dick is a 50-year veteran of the fertilizer and chemical industry and is the current Agronomy Marketing Manager of Procurement fertilizer and crop protection at Prairieland FS, Inc in Jacksonville, IL. He is at the pulse of the current struggle and here to discuss the topic at hand.

Via Barchart.com

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01 Jul 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weather, Weekly Prices, Wheat rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JUNE 23 – JULY 1

Corn reacted negatively to the Stocks and Acreage report this week despite there not being any surprises and the numbers coming out close to pre-report estimates. Planted acres came in at 89.921 million acres (89.861 million estimate) and June 1 stocks were 4.346 billion bushels (4.343 billion estimate). The bearish news is improving weather after the 4^th of July with rains expected across most of the corn belt. The concern over the wet spring causing prevent plant acres in ND and MN does not appear to have come to fruition with high prices motivating farmers to get the crop in the ground. Trading resumes Tuesday morning after the long weekend so any change in weather or world news could lead to a volatile opening after another kick in the teeth on Friday.

Via Barchart

Soybeans had a good week making solid gains before dipping after the report and then getting crushed today (Friday). The bean planted acres was 88.325 million acres (90.446 million estimate) and June 1 stocks was 971 million bushels (965 estimate). The acres number was surprising as it came in 2.121 million acres below pre-report estimates. While the favorable weather for corn is also favorable to beans, they have a different story than corn to follow. Chinese demand needs to return to the market but 2+ million acres of production is a lot to be off by. The inability for Soybeans to break out higher following the report shows that they still have a fight ahead of them and that outside market risks likely have an impact on prices. Friday’s trade hit beans hard and the long weekend holds uncertainties.

Via Barchart

Wheat moved lower on the week pre-report and continued lower after it with no surprises only to get crushed on Friday. All wheat planted acres were 47.092 million acres (47.017 million estimate) and 660 million bushels in June 1^st stocks (655 million estimate). After a tough Friday, wheat has plenty of non US weather related news to follow and any developments over the 4^th of July weekend will be seen on Tuesday.

Via Barchart

As you can see in the chart below cotton has had a rough 2 weeks. With demand expected to decrease with the possibility of a recession coming, this reaction is clear and puts fiber prices at the mercy of the economy’s future. The other side to this is that US production will likely be lower than expected with so much dryland in west Texas and other serious drought areas (see map below) expected to not produce a crop. Growers planted 12.5 million acres in 2022, up 11% from last year.

Via Barchart

Equity Markets

The equity markets were relatively flat on the week after a few up and down days. The market headlines keep being “market rallies as fear of recession lessens” or “market falls as recession fears remain” so the market is still looking for guidance as it continues lower. July’s news will be similar to June with inflation and the Fed being the main drivers.

Via Barchart

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

29 Apr 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: APRIL 21 – 28

Corn continues to move higher as planting has gotten off to a slow start in the US and Brazil’s safrinha crop is facing drought conditions, shrinking their crop. The wet and cool forecasts remain into May for the north and eastern corn belt which will make it unlikely to see much planting progress in those areas. The rain will be welcome in the western corn belt that has been dry and making slow progress in planting, but the rain will be welcome for the soil even if it slows planting for a day or two. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to decimate their infrastructure as Russia destroys ports and has seized stored corn to sell as their own. China was a buyer of corn this week and will hopefully continue to show up on exports as demand from other buyers has slowed. Limits have been increased at the CBOT for some commodities and corn will now have a 50 cent limit starting May 1 from the current 35 cent limit.

Via Barchart

Soybeans had a small dip this week after its nice run higher from the previous dip at the end of March. Soyoil prices continue their move higher pulling beans with it while meal struggles. Indonesia placed a palm oil ban on both refined and unrefined product. The slow start to planting will ultimately roll into affecting soybeans like corn but we aren’t at panic mode yet. The start to the year has been less than ideal when the world stocks need a great year. Beans daily trading limit will move up to $1.15 effective May 1^st.

Via Barchart

Cotton

July cotton traded limit up (7 cents) on Thursday to set a new contract high at $1.4768. Export data from last week was better than the last few weeks. Cotton’s problem appears to be a lack of world supply mixed with (so far) not ideal growing conditions in Texas. Forecasts for rain in Texas are very welcome but will need to be widespread and a large amount to help the drought. (See drought map below)

Dow Jones

The Dow was down this week as volatility continues to be in the markets as earnings continue to come across with some large companies getting crushed and others posting solid numbers. Tech companies have had a good week after getting run over the past couple months. This may not be the bottom for tech but it is nice to see some good numbers and some support.

Via Barchart

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand week to week.

Podcast

RCM Ag Services put a unique spin on National Agriculture Day by going international. That’s right, we jumped right into international waters with Maria Dorsett from USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Services for an interesting discussion about linking U.S. agriculture to the rest of the world.

Each year, March 22 represents a special day to increase public awareness of the U.S.’s agricultural role in society, so why not take it one step further by bringing in a global component? As the world population soars, there’s an even greater demand for producing food, fiber, and renewable resources. That’s why we’re taking a deeper dive into the USDA’s trade finance programs, like the GSM-102, which supports sales of U.S. agricultural products in overseas markets and supports export growth in areas of the world that are seeing some of the fastest population growth.

So, jump aboard (no passport needed), as Maria discusses how U.S. companies use GSM-102, what the program features, and the benefits that it offers!

Via Barchart.com

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01 Apr 2022

Corn, Cotton, Crude Oil, Dow Jones, Fertilizer, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weather, Weekly Prices, Wheat rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: MARCH 24 – 31

A bullish USDA Prospective Plantings report for corn saw both old and new crop corn getting a boost on Thursday. The USDA sees corn-planted acres for all purposes in 2022 at 89.5 million acres, down 3.87 million from last year and well below the average trade estimate of 92 million. Several factors might have played into this number but going from 92 million acres at the USDA Ag Forum to this number a month later is very interesting. Input prices and supply chain woes likely played a major role in the USDA predicting more bean acres than corn as the cost per acre to raise corn will be very high this year with the risk of not receiving all inputs in time. On top of the fallout of the war in Ukraine, this lower number should see tightening on the world balance sheets even with a record yield this year.

Via Barchart

Soybeans had a bearish report as the USDA came out with 91 million planted acres in the US for 2022. This would be a record for planted acres and 4 percent higher than last year, with planted acreage being up or unchanged in 24 of the 29 estimating states. Fewer inputs are needed per acre to grow beans than corn played a major role in the shift in acres year to year. How the market trades in the next few days will be interesting to watch as 91 million is a lot of acres, but the world needs it, so will it actually be enough?

Via Barchart

Wheat remains vulnerable to Ukraine and Russia news while also figuring out its value in the world market. Wheat acres came in at 47.351 million, lower than the pre-report estimates — 2022 winter wheat planted area at 34.2 million acres and (23.7 million HRW, 6.89 million SRW, 3.62 WW) 11.2 million acres of spring wheat. China’s poor crop and the issues with the U.S. crop seem to be priced into the market possible, but for the time being, Russia’s war in Ukraine will be the market moving news.

Via Barchart

Cotton made another jump higher this week before falling following the report. Cotton acres came in at 12.2 million acres, up 9% from last year. Many growing areas have been dry this winter and could use a spring rain to help improve planting conditions. World demand is still present, so the US will have buyers if they can produce a crop. The old and new crops have been over $1 for several weeks now, making it easier to plant than when it was in the 50 cent range a couple of years ago.

Via Barchart

Crude continued its move lower this week with a couple of large intraday ranges. The Biden administration announced that it would release 1 million barrels of oil a day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves to help fight higher gas prices. The big dip came from rumors of progress in peace talks in Ukraine that seemed incorrect as the conflict continued. The Biden administration also wants to make companies with leases on federal land “use em or lose em” but that would take months to years to go from 0 production levels. When Democrats want to shift to EVs and other “green” energy, it is hard to see why companies invest capital when that party wants to get rid of their dependency as fast as possible.

Via Barchart

Dow Jones

The equity markets fell slightly during the week due to Thursday’s fall into the close of trading. The 2/10 yr treasury yield inversion has been the main talking point this week as it could be a signal of a recession. While it does not always mean there will be a recession, we have not had a recession without that happening, even though it is usually over a year later. Q1 ended this week after a few months of losses, volatility, confusion, and inflation, and it is hard to see it calming down anytime soon.

Via Barchart

Drought Monitor

The drought monitor below shows where we stand heading into April compares to last year.

Podcast

So, jump aboard (no passport needed), as Maria discusses how U.S. companies use GSM-102, what the program features, and the benefits that it offers!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

25 Mar 2022

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Podcast, Risk Management, Soybeans, USDA Report, Weekly Prices, Wheat rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: MARCH 17 – 24

Corn has continued to trade in the same range since early March as the markets wait for next week’s acreage report from the USDA. This is a major market-moving report historically, so expect volatility either way. IHS Markit’s current estimates were for 91.42 million acres of corn, while Pro Farmer came out with 91.9 million. While these numbers seem realistic and may ultimately be right, I would be surprised if the USDA came out with anything lower than 92 million. The big question is, will higher inputs cause fewer acres even though there are higher prices, or will it be flipped? All eyes will be glued to the markets for the report, with the only other market-moving news until then will be developments in Ukraine.

Via Barchart

Soybeans continued their steady climb while corn and wheat calmed down. Next week’s report will be important for beans as well. Some analysts expect more bean acres this year as some farmers switch corn to beans in favor of lower input costs. IHS Markit estimates 88.58 million acres while Pro Farmer estimates 87.8 million. This is a good size difference showing uncertainty around the bean number with prices this high. South America’s weather has become less newsworthy so expect the market to position itself into the report unless there is any unforeseen news.

Via Barchart

Wheat’s craziness cooled off this week as many people have completely gotten out of the market until there is less uncertainty. With no significant news this week on the path of the fighting in Ukraine, the markets stayed in a smaller trading range compared to the past few weeks. The world wheat outlook is not very bright with the problems in Ukraine, China’s awful crop, and the struggles with the US crop, expect balance sheets to get tighter. World sanctions on Russia will play out in the wheat market if everyone stops buying Russian wheat; China will likely shift their buying to them and change up the trade dynamic of countries. The major news moving forward is still Ukraine.

Via Barchart

Cotton

Cotton has had a good few weeks with the May contract topping $1.30. Many in the industry have expected this move higher, but its reluctance to do it has been frustrating. With a tight market and world demand, this growing season will be important. Analysts estimate that between 11.7 and 13 million acres will be planted, which is much higher than last year’s 11.2 million acres.

Dow Jones

The equity markets made gains again this week as markets appear to be holding their breath, hoping that we have bottomed while also figuring out what to expect ahead. With several rate hikes expected this year, the markets will price those in accordingly and should not be shocked when it happens. Inflation concerns remain as oil prices bounced back over $100 and may stay there for the foreseeable future with no resolution to the war in Ukraine in sight.

Via Barchart

Podcast

So, jump aboard (no passport needed), as Maria discusses how U.S. companies use GSM-102, what the program features, and the benefits that it offers!

Via Barchart.com

Contact an Ag Specialist Today

28 Jan 2022

Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Other News, Podcast, Research, Risk Management, Soybeans, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: JANUARY 20 – 27

Corn continued its rally this week as grain bulls and inflation continue to drive it higher. The yield losses in South America continue to have news around it as the reality of significant losses begins to set in. Too much rain and heat or not enough rain and heat have been driving the issues, with very few areas having excellent growing conditions. With the Chinese New Year coming up, China will disappear from the export reports for a little bit, but once they come back, the market will have a better idea of where Brazil and Argentina sit. If the rumored losses come to fruition, we could see China increase its purchases. Corn has continued its rise while wheat struggles to make up its mind with confusion around the Russia and Ukraine situation. Any escalation there will result in more bullish factors in the market. Despite some volatility, energy prices continued their rise, with crude oil hitting a new high this week. Ethanol plants will continue to produce even with higher corn prices as long as their margins remain strong despite resulting in less fuel consumption. Many energy companies think we could see $100+ Crude in the next few months.

Via Barchart

Soybeans continued to move this week on similar news as corn with South America’s issues and continued world veg oil strength. With strong veg oil prices pulling beans along with it as long as that lasts, we can expect some support under beans with any lower moves. Like corn, if private estimates of losses to the South American crop become a reality, we should continue this run higher. If China comes back from Chinese New Year and starts picking up bean purchases, mixed with world veg oil prices could see this rally continue. Acreage estimates for 2022 have been coming out, with Informa pegging the US bean crop at 87.8 million acres. This is slightly higher than the 87.2 million acres from 2021, but we have a long way to go before we get to that point.

Via Barchart

Dow Jones

Equities had quite the week with large intraday trading ranges as the market does not seem to make up its mind. This week, the Fed’s decision to leave interest rates as-is means we should expect a raise from the March meeting. The Fed also said they would adjust asset purchases moving forward. The tensions between Ukraine, Russia, and NATO remain a large question mark, but it appears Putin may not do anything until after the Olympics. This will be important to keep an eye on for equities and commodity prices.

Via Barchart

Cotton

The cotton market has held in this $1.20 range for the last ten trading days. World demand is there, and this bull market could have room to run if inflation sticks around with other supply chain bottlenecks. We could continue to see this strength last into the spring when planting starts until we get a better idea of what the U.S. cotton crop will look like this year. With rising consumer demand, the cost of production and transportation in the next few months could see volatility.

Podcast

Tune in as biotech guru Dr. Channa S. Prakash discusses everything from Alabama football, genetics as one of the most extensive agricultural advancements, the most significant risk factors to feeding the world over the next 30-50 years, plus everything in between.

Why producing crop plants with a much gentler footprint on the natural resources will help feed the growing population. How 75% of the world’s patents in agriculture gene editing are coming from China. Understanding that trying to impose restrictions on our ability to grow food can be a considerable risk to agriculture. Listen to hear about these topics and more!

Via Barchart.com

19 Nov 2021

Corn, Cotton, Fertilizer, Grain, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Podcast, Soybeans, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: NOVEMBER 9 – 18

Corn has seen a good bounce since the Nov 9 USDA report and has traded relatively flat the past few days despite some intraday volatility. There was no specific market-moving news to fuel this rally but tidbits here and there to help fuel overall positive sentiment. IHS Markit updated their acreage for 2022 planted acres estimate with corn coming in at 90.8 million acres, 2.5 million lower than 2020. Ethanol production stays hot as the weekly grind rose to 312 mbu, up 7 from the previous week and well ahead of the USDA estimate for the year. With increased input costs going into 2022, the decrease in acreage makes sense, as balance sheets will be tighter. As harvest nears the end, eyes turn to South American growing conditions for the months ahead.

Via Barchart

Soybeans, like corn, have seen a solid rally since the USDA report. Soybeans continued their rally on Thursday until the EPA announced they would release their renewable fuel mandates by the end of the week. As the Biden administration has not been much of an ally for the ag sector, the decline on the coming news makes sense. Soybeans had decent exports this week as buyers keep showing up in the market even as prices trek higher. Continued demand from exports will help support beans, and it will be interesting to see how many beans get stored and who took advantage of higher prices with forward pricing. We will see this play out in the cash & basis market come the spring, but we expect most farmers to store corn for now. IHS Markit estimated the 2022 bean acreage to be 87.9 million acres, 700,000 acres less than 2020.

Via Barchart

Dow Jones

The Dow struggled this week as earnings continue to come in, but market volatility seems to be expected with the holiday season coming up. The Fed can still raise rates this year, and the Biden administration has not yet announced their nominee to head the Fed (either keeping Powell or someone new).

Cotton

Cotton has had life in the $1.10+ range for a while now as demand overseas is high for U.S. cotton. Growers have seen mixed yields across the country but nothing too surprising to the market. Cotton demand does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon as the world still is coming out of the pandemic, and some countries still have major restrictions.

Podcast

For the past year, commodity prices have perpetually soared and continue to trend higher. We’re diving into the fertilizer forecast with a unique guest, Billy Dale Strader, a branch manager for Helena Agri-Enterprises in Russellville, KY., who is truly at the epicenter of the rising fertilizer prices.

Billy Dale planted his agriculture roots on his family-owned farm and has managed regional seed and chemical sales at Helena for the past decade. In this week’s pod, we tackle the big question for farmers and ultimately end-users — is the impact of higher-priced inputs, like seeds, chemicals, and fertilizer, on the supply and demand for the major U.S. crops? Listen or watch to find out!

U.S. Drought Monitor

The maps below show the U.S. drought monitor and the comparison to it from a week ago. The outlined areas in black are areas that the drought will have a dominant impact.

Via Barchart.com

07 May 2021

Agriculture, Corn, Cotton, Dow Jones, Grain, Lumber, Market Commentary, Market Updates, Podcast, Soybeans, Weather, Weekly Prices rcmagserv 0 comment

AG MARKET UPDATE: MAY 1-7

Corn continued it’s hot run this month with a great week in both old crop and new crop prices. As Brazil’s safrinha crop keeps facing a dry outlook, pressure is mounting on the US to produce a great crop to fulfill world demand. The US forecast is turning wetter for many major growing areas but remains cool for this time of year. The cool weather is not ideal for early growth, but the rain will be welcome in areas facing drought conditions (see map at bottom). There is a rumor of more Chinese interest in new crop which helped propel old crop to end the week. Despite poor exports this week, this news, along with South America’s troubles, have been the market moving news this week. The US corn crop is seen at 44% planted at the start of the week beginning May 3.

Via Barchart

Soybeans followed Corn this week as they also saw strong gains. China’s ASF news has slowed as of late which is good for export expectations to China. The world demand has continued to be strong and helpful to prices in both South America and the US, while US beans remain competitive in the world market even at these levels. The recent wet and colder weather across much of the US is not expected to cause any issues for the soybean crop except maybe pushing planting back in some areas where farmers also must wait to plant corn. 25% of the US soybean crop is seen as being planted for the week beginning May 3.

Via Barchart

The big question right now: What is going on with cotton? Cotton has not enjoyed in the rally in 2021 that other commodities have. The demand has been there, but there are already worries about the 2021 cotton crop. Normally these are a recipe for higher prices, right? The fundamentals would agree as higher comparative prices for other commodities may take away some cotton acres by the end of planting season. The technical side has been cotton’s enemy as of late as they have not been able to make new contract highs, unlike the grains. The world shipping bottleneck does not appear to be getting any better and as the US continues to come out of lockdowns along with other countries demand will only make it worse. This problem needs to be solved sooner rather than later.

Via Barchart

Dow Jones
The Dow was up this week while other indexes were mixed with the Nasdaq and Russel falling. As earnings continue to be reported many of the winners of the last year have posted strong quarters but it appears the momentum behind them have slowed as good earnings have sometimes been followed by selling.

Lumber
Check out our recent post about the lumber market and what all has been going on.

Podcast
Check out or recent podcasts with guests Elaine Kub and Kyle Little. Elaine and Jeff discuss grain markets and trading grains while Kyle helps give insight into the Lumber markets and what has been going on.

Listen with Kyle:

Listen now with Elaine

CME
CME Group announced this week that it will not re-open its trading pits that were closed last March at the start of the pandemic. The Eurodollar Options pit will remain open. See the full press release here.

US Drought Monitor
The map below shows the current drought conditions throughout the US as planting continues across the country.

Weekly Prices

Via Barchart.com

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Tag: cotton markets

AG MARKET UPDATE: OCTOBER 7 – 14

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 28 – AUGUST 12

AG MARKET UPDATE: JULY 8 – 14

AG MARKET UPDATE: JUNE 23 – JULY 1

AG MARKET UPDATE: APRIL 21 – 28

AG MARKET UPDATE: MARCH 24 – 31

AG MARKET UPDATE: MARCH 17 – 24

AG MARKET UPDATE: JANUARY 20 – 27

AG MARKET UPDATE: NOVEMBER 9 – 18

AG MARKET UPDATE: MAY 1-7

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