Market Watch

Corn acreage in the United States is down and soybean acreage is up for 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Prospective Plantings Report. But the shift is not as great as the markets expected.
According to Matt Roberts, an Ohio State University Extension economist, high fertilizer prices, high input costs for corn, and poor [...]

Corn consumption during the 2009-10 marketing year could reach 12.5 billion bushels, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good.

“The 2009 crop would need to be near 12.2 billion bushels to support consumption at that level. Assuming a trend yield of 152.8 bushels, 79.8 million acres of corn would need to be harvested [...]

The size of the biofuels market will be an important factor in determining how many acres of corn and soybeans are needed this year, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good.

“This is particularly true for corn. The majority of biofuels production continues to be corn-based ethanol production. That will continue to be [...]

One of the most important factors influencing corn and soybean prices in the U.S. is weather and crop conditions in South America, particularly Argentina, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good.
Argentina and Brazil are large exporters of soybeans and soybean products. Argentina is a large exporter of corn. Recently, Brazil has also [...]

Corn acreage in 2009 should be maintained at least at the level of 2008, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good

“A small increase may be warranted, depending on yield and consumption expectations. There appears to be no need for increased soybean acreage and a small decline may be warranted, depending on yield [...]

Is there any basis for optimism that corn prices will increase as the marketing year progresses? Not much, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good

“At this point, it is not clear where the fundamental support will come from to generate such a recovery. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, [...]

With the supply side of the corn and soybean price equation becoming more settled, price direction will now come primarily from the demand side, where there are some positive developments, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good.

“Export sales for the week ended October 2 were relatively large and well above the weekly [...]

The implications of the current meltdown in U.S. credit markets is a major concern for agricultural commodities because it calls into question the potential for economic growth in the United States and the rest of the world, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good.

“That concern is reinforced by the sharp decline in [...]

Early USDA forecasts for the 2008-09 corn and soybean marketing year project substantial declines in U.S. exports from the record levels reached in the 2007-08 marketing year,
The sharpest decline is projected for corn. The USDA currently projects U.S. corn exports for the marketing year that just ended on August 31, 2008, at 2.425 billion bushels. [...]

Corn and soybean prices continue to weaken, but could settle into a more “sideways” pattern as production prospects unfold, according to University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist Darrel Good.
December 2008 corn futures increased about $2 per bushel during the month of June, topping out just under $8. During the same period, November 2008 soybean futures [...]