Daily Insights

September 7, 2021

Good morning,

Markets are weak to start the day with corn down 10 and soybeans down 3 after the traders 3 day weekend.

We have a USDA report out on Thursday this week where the USDA is expected to increase production even if they don’t adjust yield. Traders are expecting the USDA to increase planted acres to get closer to the FSA’s numbers that were released after the USDA’s June report. We could see upwards of 1.0 million acres more in Thursday’s report. Below are the estimates for Thursday:

USDA 2020/21 US Carryout(billion bu)

  USDA Sept. Ave. Est. USDA Aug.
Corn   1.169 1.117
Soybeans   .166 .160

 

USDA 2021/22 US Carryout(billion bu)

  USDA Sept. Ave. Est. USDA Aug.
Corn   1.382 1.242
Soybeans   .190 .155

 

USDA 2021/22 US Production(billion bu)

  USDA Sept. Ave. Est. USDA Aug.
Corn   14.847 14.750
Soybeans   4.353 4.339

 

USDA 2021/22 US Yield(Bp/acre)

  USDA Sept. Ave. Est. USDA Aug.
Corn   175.8 174.6
Soybeans   50.3 50.0

 

The US weather is mostly dry over the next 10 days.  Crop ratings will show a mature crop with little change in condition ratings from here forward.  Temperatures are going to be pretty warm over most all of the Western US.  Above normal temps are forecast from California to Texas and up into Canada.  The Eastern US will have normal temps.

 

Have a Safe Day!

 

Garry Gard

920-348-6844

ggard@didioninc.com

 

 

September 3, 2021

Good morning,

Corn is unchanged and soybeans are up 9 to start this Friday heading into a three day weekend. I would expect to see the markets close unchanged to lower as traders ship off for the extended weekend.

The Gulf supplies 60% of the Ag trade out of the US.  The LDC Port Allen Facility is already up with power and now only waits for the Mississippi River to be cleared and they will be back in business.  Other facilities still do not have power, but that should change in the coming days.  The greatest damage was to the Cargill facility which could take months to get back online.  This facility exports approximately 15% of the US grain. The rest were mostly undamaged and it remains a power issue.  Power is coming back to many areas in New Orleans.  There will be pent up Chinese demand as soon as scheduling of cargoes can continue.

Democratic lawmakers are asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to extend a biofuel production tax credit and include other measures to expand U.S. biofuel use in upcoming budget legislation.  The lawmakers, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minn., want the congressional leaders to include provisions that would enhance fuel pump infrastructure, allow retailers to sell E15 year-round, set a low-carbon fuel tax and other manufacturing incentives.

The 7 day forecast has rain coming to Kansas, Missouri and the Southern tip of Illinois.  Warm temps will show up out West next week and stay above normal for the next 10 days.  The Eastern US will see below normal temps.  The market is going to start looking for cold temps now, in case there is an early frost.

 

Have a Safe Weekend!

 

Garry Gard

920-348-6844

ggard@didioninc.com

 

September 1, 2021

Good morning,

Markets are lower to start the day with corn and soybeans down 12 and 17 respectively.

Several things are pressing the markets the last few days.

  1. The longs are liquidating their positions.
  2. Hurricane Ida is putting pressure on the exports after damaging terminals in LA.
  3. New crop harvest pressure.
  4. Covid -Delta variant

All of these are giving the bears reason to move the markets lower and are doing it at a rampant pace. Things may stabilize in the future, but trade appears to be headed lower until one or all of these are resolved.

Three days after the Category 4 hurricane came ashore, more than a million homes and businesses remained without electricity on Wednesday and power utility Entergy Corp warned it may take weeks to restore service in some areas where transmission towers lay in crumpled heaps of metal.  The electrical power company is reporting that 216 stations and more the 2,000 miles of transmission lines are without service.  Electrical crews from nearby states are making way for New Orleans to help put up towers and lines in order to restore power.  The wind damage was estimated to be worse than Katrina, knocking out more trees and towers.  (Reuters)

The Cargill elevator damaged by Hurricane Ida in Reserve, Louisiana is responsible for nearly 9% of America’s bulk seaborne exports of corn, soybeans and wheat so far in 2021, according to Bloomberg’s analysis of U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

USDA shipments show a total of 6.45 million tons of agricultural product loaded at the Cargill terminal, with 5.3 million tons of corn topping the list. The primary recipient of crops through the elevator this year has been China, receiving 47% of its output including 2.5 million tons of corn and 485,000 tons of soybeans.

The 7 day forecast looks much the same as yesterday with rain setting up in the West Central US.  Amounts will be up to 3 inches in the heaviest areas.  This rain event shows up on Friday and Saturday of this week, after which a ridge sets up from Texas North.  Its not a big ridge, and temps will warm up in the Western US and leave the East at below normal temps.

Have a safe Day!

 

Garry Gard

920-348-6844

ggard@didioninc.com

 

August 25, 2021

Good morning,

Markets are quieter this morning with corn up 1 and soybeans down 4.

The 10 day rain forecast for the Midwest has rain of up to two inches for Iowa and heavier amounts seen in Minnesota of up to 3-4 inches.  Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio are on the dry side. Some rain fell in Northern Illinois last night, parts of Central Illinois saw pop up showers.  The 7 day forecast by NOAA is a little wetter than what the EU is showing.  Temps will warm up out West to very hot levels again.  We will see some 90’s in Illinois, but the East continues the trend as cooler than the Western Plains.

If the weather matters, it would be viewed as bearish with rains falling in Iowa and parts of Illinois.  Crops are pretty far along with all the heat we saw this year and we had one of the earliest planting dates in years.  China has been showing up for bean purchases just about every day since the beginning of August.  They still have many cargoes to buy which will underpin the bean market on breaks.  There isn’t a big story to drive prices higher.  The Fund position in corn and beans has mostly been the same in August. Look for the markets to be choppy heading towards the end of the month.

Early yield reports out of Southern IL are strong with 221 bpa being reported yesterday in Bond County IL. This producer is expecting to break his farm record this year. His APH is in the 180’s.

Have a Safe Day!

Garry Gard

920-348-6844

ggard@didioninc.com

 

August 24, 2021

Good morning,

Markets are firm this morning with corn up 7 and soybeans up 30 to start the day.

The USDA found 60% of U.S. corn acres to be in good to excellent condition, down 2% from a week prior in a move that slightly surprised analysts. Average trade guesses for weekly corn ratings had hovered at 61% leading up to yesterday’s report. Last year this is the week that corn conditions started their decline from 69% G/EX to 64% and eventually falling to 60% by September 14th due to a dry August and the derecho in IA.

Soybean condition ratings fell 1% lower on the week, with 56% of the crop now remaining in good to excellent condition. The condition downgrade was in line with expectations, so early morning price gains were limited on the news of lower soybean ratings. Soybean maturation rates also continue to accelerate faster than historical averages amid variable growing conditions across the country. For the week ending August 22, 97% of the crop was blooming and another 88% was setting pods, about 1% ahead of the five-year average.

The 10-day forecast is almost identical to yesterday’s run.  Heavy rains are forecast to fall in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio will stay dry into the end of the month.  Finishing rains are not forecast for this area and yields are expected to shrink slightly.  Most crops are well into maturity, so weather isn’t as big a deal anymore.  Temps will heat up out West again also advancing maturity.

Have a Safe Day!

Garry Gard

920-348-6844

ggard@didioninc.com