The end of the month and the end of the quarter could make for an interesting end to the week. Hard to believe we begin the fourth quarter tomorrow. We end the third quarter today with the quarterly grain stocks report. We expect few surprises, but it is always interesting to see how much grain is still on farm storage …
Estimates of Beef Cattle Prices for Remainder of Year
Eyes are on beef cattle prices for the rest of this year and into the next. Chief Economist Justin Benevidez shares what he gathers from data when considering individual and national herd retention. “As far as whether or not the herd is going to grow into next year, I’m of the mind that it will, and I’ll caveat that with …
ARC and PLC Program Updates
Well agricultural producers can now begin enrolling in the Agricultural Risk Coverage Program or ARC and the PLC Price Loss Coverage Program. USDA says they have applied 30 million new base acres to all the farms and now you can start planting your individual farm. Producers can now change your election and enroll in ARC, or you can enroll in …
Reopening of Southern Port of Entry for Live Cattle
This week another southern port of entry for Mexican live cattle is scheduled to reopen. This reopening is a key part of the gradual resumption of southern border livestock entry, working alongside New World Screwworm Protection Protocols. Chief Economist Justin Benavidez describes it further. “USDA will open the Santa Teresa, New Mexico port of entry. For the first month of …
Corn and Soybean Futures
This year’s corn and soybean crop not even in the bin yet, but bottom-line grain analysts are keeping an eye on 2027 December corn 2027 November soybean futures. A Rising tide lifts all ships. It said networks in the grain trade as well. Next December 2027 corn futures have risen from early summer lows to a 52-week high recently over …
Closer Look at the Cotton Report
Hard times continue in the cotton market. It dropped from 93 cents to 78 cents a pound and they are saying now that the Texas crop is now rated 49% poor or very poor, Oklahoma 55% poor. Elsewhere there’s only just a few exceptions. The crop is at least 50% good to excellent. Beltwide the crop is 36% good to …
Hog and Pig Reports
If this afternoon’s quarterly hogs and pig report is considered neutral by the trade, it could provide support to hog futures. CME’s latest lean hog index, the lowest since late January. Managed money traders hold record short positions, with over 31,000 contracts. Bottom line analysts suggest that we may have established a bottom December lean hog last week near that …
Cotton Market Updates
Let’s look at the cotton for this week. It looks like the cotton market which jumped up to 93 cents a pound has stopped. It’s lost 10 cents a pound in the last week. The 2026 crop for cotton was cut 410,000 bales from the August estimate according to USDA. Both acres as harvested and yield were reduced. The U.S. …
Trade Updates
Gold futures continue to inch toward lows from early November of last year, many analysts suggesting it could be an area to buy. The Dow is off to its worst September start since 2008. Ten-year U.S. Treasury yields, their highest since 2007. Energy prices have risen by over 30% since just the 4th of July, and in this environment, a …
USDA Beef and Steer Price Forecasts for 2027
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering an early look at the cattle market outlook for next year. In this report, Mark Jekanowski, chair of the World Agricultural Outlook Board, discusses USDA’s latest forecast for 2027 beef production and steer prices. “For 2027, we have a reduction of about 150 million pounds this month for beef production, reflecting our expectations …









