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If you want to plant early this spring, agronomists say to remember that fit soils and good weather are far more important guides to follow than the date on your calendar.
Live and feeder cattle futures were lower early Friday but Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek says it didn’t take long for the markets to firm up supported by the cash market.
The January USDA reports have been historically a huge market mover and a great deal of the focus will be on final yields and production.
Tommy Grisafi with Nesvick Trading says the soybean market faded after hitting chart resistance but also seemed disappointed with the lack of confirmed China export business. The grain complex also saw report positioning.
Prioritizing projects with a clear path to fast returns and lower costs can help you weather current economic challenges, say ag industry experts.
Garrett Toay with AgTraderTalk attributes the rally mostly to corrective buying after a $1.40 break from the highs in soybeans. Traders are also short in the wheat market, which just came off of contract lows in SRW futures.
Darin Newsom, senior market analyst with Barchart, says the grain complex may be some rebalancing by hedge and index fund traders to start a new year and with grains under valued.
Chip Nellinger with Blue Reef Agri-Marketing says soybeans sold off in a classic “buy the rumor, sell the fact,” reaction to USDA confirming China export sales.
Research and polling suggests the money will go toward operating costs, paying down debt, and not be eyed for machinery purchases.
Brad Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the recent strength in cattle has been a combination of fund buying and higher cash trade. He predicts that will continue into first quarter of 2026.
Chuck Shelby of Risk Management Commodities says soybeans, corn and wheat were oversold and saw some corrective buying but there was also some risk on buying across the ag complex.
Heading into 2026, markets hinge on EPA biofuel rules, global fertilizer supply and acreage shifts. StoneX warns tight inputs, policy delays and weather risk will shape crop prices and farm margins.
Grain markets are all higher to start the week. Mark Knight with Farmer’s Keeper Financial says some of the strength is tied to short covering after lower weekly closes in corn, soybeans and wheat last week.
Is it easier to be skeptical of usage estimates and trade agreements, or is it the more popular thing to do? Chip Flory admits the clock is ticking on his optimism, especially without market development outside of China.
Scott Varilek with Kooima Kooima Varilek says cattle futures saw a chart breakout, pushed by fundamental factors. Meanwhile, the soybean market saw technical selling and pressure from mostly favorable weather in South America.
Soybeans scored new lows for the move on the last trading day of 2025. Randy Martinson says the market saw technical selling with end of quarter and end of year positioning and favorable weather in Brazil.
2026 will have USDA’s trade team in Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Australia and New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam
Rich Nelson with Allendale, Inc. says there is a general lack of news for the grain markets so some of the pressure is coming from end of the quarter and end of the year positioning by traders.
Will 2026 be a repeat of 2016? Chris Barron, Ag View Solutions, shares four strategies to help farmers capture some profit in this down cycle.
Kevin Duling with KD Investors says some algorithm trades moved the grain market with year end position squaring but there was also spillover from macro markets like gold and silver.
A detailed “farming playbook” can help guide essential input investments and maximize ROI.
Joe Kooima with Kooima Kooima Varilek says the live and feeder cattle futures board has remained sideways since around Dec. 11. However, there is one thing that could break that trend.
Mike Minor with Professional Ag Marketing says the grains saw a Santa Claus rally on technical buying as under light volume its easier to move a market. Hogs reacted to the bearish Hogs and Pigs Report.
Dan Basse with Ag Resource Company says the next focus for the soybean market in 2026 will be South American weather and what does China do on long term soybean purchases.
Grains are quiet Tuesday morning. Volume is light as we are into holiday trading already says DuWayne Bosse of Bolt Marketing.
Planning for next season? Review the expert insights and recommendations from farmers and field agronomists on how to reduce costs and strategically reallocate resources.
Arlan Suderman with StoneX, Inc. says some of Monday’s buying was tied to money flow and end of the year profit taking he says. The higher energy market was also supportive of the grains.
Live and feeder cattle futures made new highs for the move Monday morning after a strong close Friday and higher weekly closes. However, the big catalyst is the bullish USDA Cattle on Feed Report data according to Rich Nelson of Allendale, Inc.
As he awaits official per-acre payment rates from USDA, Jerry Gulke is leaning toward soybeans versus corn, saying the estimated $46-per-acre corn payment is woefully inadequate and “like a bridge to nowhere.”
Jim McCormick with AgMarket.Net says the slide in soybeans has been a result of prices getting too high in anticipation of the China trade deal. Now prices are lower than before the purchases were announced. He’s hopeful a low is close.