DuWayne Bosse with Bolt Marketing says soybeans made new highs for the move and January futures are closing in on $11, while March made fresh highs for the year.

After three straight years of having a May-planted crop that outperformed corn planted only a few weeks earlier, some Illinois farmers are ready to throw in the towel on planting corn before the calendar turns to May.

“Even now, you can still find treasures because farm properties … are filled with buried secrets.”

The hearing will focus on concerns that consolidation in the U.S. seed and fertilizer industries contributes to higher input costs for farmers.

Grain markets staged a rally on Monday and Naomi Blohm with Total Farm Marketing says soybeans led the charge on news over the weekend that the U.S. and China had reached a framework agreement that included “substantial purchases” of U.S. soybeans.

Although warning signs are emerging, economists say record-high beef prices could hold for up to two more years. Tight supplies and strong demand continue to drive the market, but economists and producers are apprehensive with talks of reopening the border.