Grain Marketing Education, News & Strategies

Tidbits Baker Hughes reported there were 548 oil and gas drilling rigs in operation last week in the USA. That is 5 more than last week but 42 fewer than a year ago. Canada had 142 rigs drilling this past week, which was 11 fewer than a week ago and 11 fewer than a year ago. Worldwide, there were 1058 rigs drilling at the end of March, 54 fewer than the previous month and 37 fewer than a year ago. CGB at Gladstone Bluff, Illinois (on The River) Friday evening compared to

Tidbits Markets & Premiums: Yesterday was a very disappointing day for grain futures as the sharply higher crude oil could only rally corn, wheat, and beans very modestly. Even though soybean oil settled sharply higher and May bean oil was up 1.86¢ a pound, May soybeans were down 5¢. May soybean meal was lower, but only $3 a ton. For a bushel of beans yesterday, the value of the 11½ pounds of oil per bushel increased 21.35¢ and the 48 pounds of meal per bushel decreased by 7.

Tidbits The agriculture futures markets will be closed Friday, but banks, postal workers, and the government will be working. Futures markets will close at normal time today and open at normal time Easter Sunday. The CBOT prices were pressured yesterday by sharply lower crude oil and prospects for the U.S. to end its participation in persecuting the war against Iran. Corn and beans recovered nicely before the close, but wheat did not recover as badly needed rain is expected i

Use Puts to Lock-in a Floor Price or to Enhance the HTA Price? This seventh essay discussing how to use options to enhance your grain marketing was written Saturday, April 23, 2022. When the futures market opens Sunday evening, you can spend 30 cents a bushel for the right to lock-in a HTA price for your corn at $6.40 on December futures. December corn futures settled at $7.24 yesterday. If a corn farmer buys corn puts to lock in a floor price for his corn, does he want thos

Grain market summary of price outlook, seasonal situation, fundamental & technical analysis with our recommendations for corn, soybeans and wheat (Soft Red Winter, Hard Red Winter & Spring), also for inputs like fuel and fertilizer for past week Wednesday to Tuesday. Read about our approach to this report here. We provide three different marketing plans (in order of decreasing our preference). The marketing decision is yours to make, obviously you can mix those plans, change

Highlights The acres of corn expected to be planted is 95.3 million acres, down 3.45 million (3.5%) from 2025, but about 900,000 more than the market expected. Soybeans acreage is projected to be up 3.5 million (4%) from last year to 84.7 million acres, but about 750,000 less than the market expected. All wheat acreage is estimated at 43.8 million acres, 1.55 million or 3% below 2025 and the lowest wheat acreage since records began in 1919. Winter wheat planted area at 32.4 m

Tidbits Planting Intentions and Quarterly Stocks reports will be released by the USDA today at 11 AM Central. Here is the May futures price change on the reports release days in previous years:

Tidbits Tomorrow at 11 AM Central time the USDA will release the Planting Intentions for 2026 crops and the Grain Stocks as of 1 March. This is probably the second most important USDA reporting day of the year (after June Stocks and Planted Acreage reports). Uruguay: Santiago Fernández Camacho is the Managing Director of The Trade Bridge Group of Montevideo, Uruguay, which borders Brazil to the north and Argentina to the west. We asked Santiago to give an update on agri

World Free-On-Board Grain & Oilseed Prices for March 28, 2026

The daily soybean continuation chart is kind of in no mans land as to whether a new down leg will begin or not. Current price levels have not violated the previous high by much - about 15 cents compared to the more than 2 Dollar rally that has occurred since last years low marks. The current highs are above the last high marked on November 18th 2025. In other words, soybeans could not continue to mark new lows since the limit down day -this leans bullish. You will see these f

It's our weekly U.S. grain market analysis and outlook for corn, soybeans and wheat, including traders positioning, basis bids tracking, crush margins, weekly news wrap-up and comments. The Dow Jones Index settled on Friday at 45,167, -411 points for the week. Crude oil settled at $99.64, +1.55. Dollar Index settled at 100.19, +0.69. Baltic Dry Index (a shipping freight-cost index) settled at 2,031, -25. Corn May futures settled at $4.62, -3½¢ for the week. December corn sett

Tidbits The CO2 Coalition was established in 2015 for the purpose of educating leaders, policy makers, and the public about the important contribution made by carbon dioxide to our lives and the economy. The Coalition seeks to engage in an informed and dispassionate discussion of climate change, humans’ role in the climate system, the limitations of climate models, and the consequences of mandated reductions in CO2 emissions. The CO2 Coalition’s Climate Change’s Real Story

Tidbits Biofuel: In an apparent classic buy the rumor and sell the fact event, just before the grain futures went from higher to lower yesterday, the EPA announced its 2026 and 2027 biofuel blending volumes. As expected, the renewable fuel volume requirements for this and next calendar year are the highest levels in program history. The EPA will maintain the 15 billion conventional gallons biofuel level. Flash sale: Yesterday morning, the USDA announced the sale of 105,000 mt

Tidbits Iran: President Trump announced in a post yesterday that he was extending the deadline for a deal with Iran until 8 PM Eastern Time on 6 April at the request of the Iranian Government because talks are ongoing and going very well, despite erroneous statements to the contrary. Some sources are saying the chances of success in achieving a ceasefire remain low, as Iran and the United States are making demands that are unacceptable to each other. China: President Trump an

Tidbits Iran rejected a U.S. ceasefire proposal and maintained attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states, Reuters reported. Trump’s 15-point peace plan stipulated that the Islamic Republic dismantle its main nuclear facilities and use a reduced missile arsenal in self-defense only. Iran would get certain concessions in return, including sanctions relief. Iran wants guarantees that the U.S. and Israel will not resume attacks, alongside reparations for war damages and recognition

Grain market summary of price outlook, seasonal situation, fundamental & technical analysis with our recommendations for corn, soybeans and wheat (Soft Red Winter, Hard Red Winter & Spring), also for inputs like fuel and fertilizer for past week Wednesday to Tuesday. Read about our approach to this report here. We provide three different marketing plans (in order of decreasing our preference). The marketing decision is yours to make, obviously you can mix those plans, change

Highlights Biofuel: Jarrett Renshaw is a White House reporter for Reuters with a focus on energy policy. He reported late yesterday afternoon: “The Trump administration will release biofuel quotas 2026/27 this week, sometime before Friday's farm event at White House. The quotas have not been materially changed by Iran war price spike concerns, I'm told.” Later yesterday, Renshaw reported: “Trump is expected to waive summer gasoline blending rules - pave way for summer E15 sal

Highlights: Iran Shortly after 6 AM Central time yesterday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran and the U.S. had engaged in “good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution” of the hostilities. Consequently, Trump wrote that he had ordered the Department of War to postpone all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for five days. That sent crude oil down $10 and CBOT markets went from smartly higher to low

The May corn market recently failed near the price highs and started correcting downwards. For the time being, the price targets higher are off the table. Resistance is now 474.0 to 476.0, and support comes in at 456.50 (today's low), 449.0, then again at the 445.0 to 443.00 range. This is a pretty big trading range for the corn market. Therefore there is opportunity to both buy and sell for hedging or trading. There are also 5 blue lines on the chart which should function as

Tidbits Iran & Crude oil: Saturday evening, President Trump posted on Truth Social stating: “If Iran doesn’t fully open, without threat, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 HOURS from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one!” Iran responded yesterday it will move to shut down the entire Strait of Hormuz if President Donald Trump follows through with his threats and that any companie