Corn
Don Roose with U.S. Commodities says corn and soybeans saw chart breakout with fund buying heading into the USDA report on expectations of lower yield but also watching for China buys in the daily export sales.
The grain markets fought off early weakness on Wednesday to close near the highs of the day and stage a strong technical close according to Bryan Doherty, Total Farm Marketing.
Number of bushels per acre is high on their list of priorities, but it’s not necessarily their No. 1 concern going into 2026.
DuWayne Bosse with Bolt Marketing says grains are fading the reopening of the government on positioning ahead of USDA’s reports on Friday and the lack of China soybean purchases.
Vince Boddicker with Farmers Trading Company says soybeans are mostly lower seeing some Turnaround Tuesday profit taking but the grains are also hearing up for the USDA reports Friday.
Sam Hudson with Corn Belt Marketing says part of the rally in the grains was tied to talk of the government possibly reopening this week. That provided a risk on environment for the bulls who have been flying blind with the lack of market data from USDA.
Both products have been registered for use by the EPA, with one of them featuring a novel active ingredient.
Live and feeder cattle futures are extending gains after a higher close on Friday. Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek, says he is encouraged a low may be forming in both markets.
Jerry Gulke, president of the Gulke Group, says private estimates for national corn yield range from 182 to 186. However, he expects a bearish report because yields may be higher than expected.
Soybeans bounced on Friday and were up Matt Bennett with AgMarket.Net says to go back and retest this week’s highs or move to new highs soybeans will need to see proof of China purchases.
Farmers wanting to hang onto the soil moisture in their fields are struggling to address compaction and ruts where there has been little to no recent rainfall. Anhydrous ammonia applications are also difficult to get sealed in fields where moisture is minimal.
Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek says the cattle market is seeing a short covering or technical bounce after an ugly down week. So is the fund liquidation done yet or is this a dead cat bounce?
Ted Seifried says the ag markets saw risk off selling across the commodity board and profit taking in the grains after the recent rally. But with the volatility in the soybean market is this topping action?
Growers say they remain cautiously optimistic and believe the U.S. is “headed in the right direction.” But they want the gridlock with China to end and for actual steps to be taken to get their crops sold and shipped.
Darin Newsom, senior market analyst with Barchart, Inc., says commodity wide selling is hitting the grain and livestock futures early Thursday and some of it is tied to uncertainty regarding the future of tariffs.
January soybeans rallied $.13 on Wednesday as China dropped it 24% retaliatory tariffs imposed on U.S. ag goods March 4 for one year.
As crops go into bins, growers will be looking to maintain quality until their marketing opportunities improve. Some ongoing management practices are vital to the process.
Mark Knight with Farmer’s Keeper Financial says the market is digesting clarification from China on tariffs. Beijing says it will lower the 24% retaliatory tariffs but the cut still leaves a 13% tariff on U.S. soybeans imported into China.
Randy Martinson with Martinson Ag says most of the grain and oilseed complex saw general profit taking Tuesday after hitting overbought territory.
While many farmers in the state were delighted by the results the 2025 season delivered, that wasn’t the case everywhere. In some areas, Mother Nature delivered a series of agronomic problems that dominoed and turned a potential bin buster crop into one that was average at best by harvest.
Arlan Suderman, with StoneX, Inc., says soybeans are rallying on the White House interpretation of the deal which assumes China will buy 12 MMT in the next couple of months on top of the nearly 6 MMT it purchased earlier in 2025. However, he says China has not confirmed that.
Kansas State University’s Joe Parcell says livestock revenues make up more than half of the state’s projected $6.2 billion increase, but volatility across its rural economies signals continued uncertainty ahead.
Brad Kooima of Kooima Kooima Varilek says while the cattle futures are distancing themselves from last week’s lows he isn’t sure if all of the bearish news is factored into the market yet. Meanwhile, soybeans make new highs as the White House clarifies China will buy 12 MMT in the last two months of 2025.
Agronomists answer farmer questions about the role of nitrogen and other nutrients in lessening the potential impact of yield robbers such as southern rust and tar spot in corn.
Shawn Hackett with Hackett Financial Advisors says with China potentially buying 441 million bushels of U.S. soybeans in the next two months prices need to move a lot higher.
After an ugly pullback in the cattle market futures are trying to recover according to Scott Varilek of Kooima Kooima Varilek as cash strength is returning in the feeder cattle market.
Mark Schultz with Northstar Commodity says in response to the China deal the soybean market pushed into new highs for the move with January finally closing above the $11 mark.
Alan Bruger says USDA was assuming some sales to China in the September WASDE but he thinks the agency will need to make some revisions in their 300 million bushel ending stocks with this deal.
As a handful of corporations influences more of the agricultural supply chain, row crop growers say they are left with fewer input choices, higher prices and diminishing control over their own operations.
Allison Thompson says soybeans paused on Wednesday with January down 3/4 cent as the market faded news of China purchases as it was already priced into the market.