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Michelle Rook

National Reporter

Michelle Rook is a national agricultural reporter and market analyst for Farm Journal’s AgDay and U.S. Farm Report, and she is the host of Markets Now. With expertise in commodity markets, grain trading, and agricultural journalism, she delivers daily market updates and analysis to farmers nationwide. She earned the NAFB Farm Broadcaster of the Year award and the prestigious Doan Excellence in Reporting Award.

Latest Stories
Soybeans recovered on Tuesday on market talk that China was looking to buy soybeans off the Pacific Northwest says Jim McCormick with AgMarket.Net.
Grain and cattle futures ended mostly lower on Monday caught up in money flow and the selloff in the stock market tied to tariff concerns says Mike Minor with Professional Ag Marketing.
Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the USDA Cattle on Feed report was providing some support. The on feed number came in at 98% of a year ago, placements were at 95% which was below trade estimates and marketings were at 87%.
Jerry Gulke, president of the Gulke Group, says he was impressed with the outlook USDA provided on biofuels and trade at the Ag Outlook Forum, but does not agree with their acreage projections.
Shawn Hackett with Hackett Financial Advisors says the market fears that China will use the ruling as leverage to get out of its trade framework struck with the U.S. on Oct. 30 and that could include its soybean purchase commitments.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle market is also awaiting cash direction.
Sam Hudson with Corn Belt Marketing says the wheat and soybean market continue to see fund buying, but corn can’t follow. Corn is repeating the same trend it exhibited last year at this time.
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says cattle futures are getting overbought and ran into another layer of chart resistance Wednesday but higher cash could push the market to new highs.
Confidence in USDA reports is wavering after recent acreage misses, leaving many producers and retailers skeptical. While experts call it the “best data available,” transparency is needed to restore industry trust.
Darin Newsom, Senior market analyst with Barchart, Inc. says the algorithm traders have been chasing the headlines of the China story and increased biofuels blending levels.