Corn
Commodities dropped 40-60% in value the past few years. How much longer will the slide continue?
Grain futures were lower Thursday in early trading on the Chicago Board of Trade.
“The bottom line is that we ended an era and started a new one,” said Jerry Gulke, president of the Gulke Group in Chicago, speaking on Farm Journal Radio with Pam Fretwell. “We’ve ended 10 years of zero interest rates. ... That rodeo is over.”
Recent lower prices in corn could translate into fewer planted acres in 2015, potentially putting pressure on bids for beef cattle next year.
Corn stalks are a great forage to graze, but is supplementation needed?
Irrigation transformed this region known by early explorers as the Great American Desert into an oasis of sorts. In an area of limited rainfall and surface water availability, the Ogallala allowed farmers to grow corn, which attracted cattle feedlots, then meatpacking plants, ethanol plants and dairies. Now the nation’s largest freshwater aquifer is starting to run dry.
Corn should be a lot cheaper this fall, but will it be better than other alternative feed stuffs?
Rain in July makes things look more optimistic for wheat and stocker cattle operators, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist.
Rain and cold temps are expected to keep many farmers out of the field this week.
Listen to closing market commentary from your editors.
Some livestock producers believe that non-genetically modified (GM) corn provides animals with healthier feed, but university researchers are not always in agreement.
The drought areas of Iowa increased by eight percentage points from last week.
Still reflects more than half of continuous U.S. covered by drought.
But a large drought footprint will remain in place across the western states.
Forecast raises concerns about planting delays.
This is expected to prolong Midwest planting delays.
Chip Flory and Brian Grete discuss the market’s price discovery process.
While drought improved in many areas, the Southern Plains saw slight expansion.
Texas moves backwards, with 12.88% of the state covered by exceptional drought.
Seasonal Drought Outlook calls for some drought improvement across areas of the Plains.
Forecast calls for below-normal precip for bulk of Corn Belt.
Normal precip expected across most of the Corn Belt.
Drought Monitor reflects 60.21% of the nation still covered by some form of drought.
Drier conditions expected in the western Corn Belt, while wet condition to continue in the eastern Belt.
But a majority of the country is still covered by some form of drought.
Seasonal Drought Outlook a broken record for Southern Plains.
Cooler-than-usual conditions to linger into month’s end.
Drought monitor notes that 34.96% of contiguous U.S. is drought-free -- little changed from last week.