With farmer and regulator eyes turned toward the two companies, Bayer and Monsanto technology leads on Thursday repeated their confidence the merger will close by the end of 2017. The companies need approval from regulatory authorities in 30 countries.

Global wheat stocks have been dwindling due to a worse than expected Indian crop and an “off” Ukranian crop, according to Jim Bower of Bower Trading on Market Rally Radio.

Since 2005, Swedish-backed Black Earth Farming has emerged as a major landowner in southwest Russia, holding more than 600,000 acres (244,000 hectares) as of 2015. But yesterday, the company announced it has entered into an agreement to sell its Russian operations, distribute the proceeds to its shareholders, and initiate a voluntary liquidation of the company.

Inventories at post-Soviet high, but still only equal to half of U.S. output.

“If it gets too cold, too fast, especially if there’s not time for the crop to re-acclimate, it can cause some damage,” said Romulo Lollato, a wheat and forage specialist at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

Latest information and news about wheat

It’s going to be c-c-c-cold in the Plains and Midwest this weekend. Kait Parker, meteorologist with The Weather Channel, has already been tracking dangerous wind chills as of Thursday, with more expected on the way. Find out which areas are at risk for wheat winterkill if they don’t get adequate snow accumulations ahead of the tumbling temperatures.

In 2016, wheat farmers have seen ugly circumstances, now they’re trying to help the problem by reducing acreage.

Glut has spurred longest slump in decade as growers lose money.

The planted acreage for winter wheat in the U.S. fell to the lowest level since 1909 as farmers from Kansas to Texas faced prospects for declining crop prices, a government report showed. Futures prices climbed in Chicago.