Last week’s Grain Stocks report should reduce the ending stocks for both corn and soybeans this month. USDA’s quarterly grain stocks estimate suggests there are fewer bushels of corn and soybeans left over from last year than have been reported so far. University of Illinois Commodity Grain Markets Specialist Todd Hubbs says corn is off by 56 million bushels and …
USDA Releases Grain Stocks Estimates
Current corn storage has swelled to levels not seen since the 1980’s, according to new data released by the Department of Agriculture. USDA released its quarterly Grain Stocks report Friday. The report shows that old-crop corn stocks have reached a 30-year record at 2.2 billion bushels. That number was 32 percent higher than last year, but still below the pre-report …
Syngenta Reaches Settlement in Viptera Case
Syngenta has reached a settlement with farmers involved in lawsuits over the launch of Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera and Agrisure Duracade corn traits. The lawsuits alleged Syngenta’s release of traits unapproved in China led the nation to reject U.S. corn shipments and pushed corn prices lower. The settlement is estimated to be close to $1.5 billion, according to Reuters. The settlement …
WTO Will Investigate U.S. Complaint over China
The World Trade Organization has created a dispute panel to investigate U.S. complaints regarding import quotas by China. The panel came at the request of the U.S. regarding quotas on wheat, rice, and corn. The panel on tariff rate quotas for agricultural products was automatically established as it was the second request by the United States at the WTO Dispute …
New Zealand Triples U.S. DDGS Purchases
Record milk production in New Zealand has led the nation to triple the amount of imported U.S. distiller’s dried grains with solubles. The U.S. Grains Council reports that the 2017 milk supply in New Zealand is expected to reach 21.9 million tons, surpassing the prior record of 2014, thanks to higher-expected cow numbers and optimal pasture conditions. With the further …
Irma Interrupts Alabama Corn Harvest, Complicates Cotton Crop
Farmers are scouting for damage from Tropical Storm Irma, which dropped several inches of rain and blew winds up to 50 mph in east and central Alabama Monday. The storm, which raged across the Florida peninsula last weekend, interrupted corn harvest for some Alabama growers, said the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Carla Hornady. “The rain pushed some farmers to work long …
Saudi Arabia Nearly Doubles U.S. Corn Imports In 2016/2017
The U.S. Grains Council says Saudi Arabia has nearly doubled purchases of U.S. corn this marketing year due to a combination of favorable government policy shifts, competitive prices and market development work by the Council. So far in the current marketing year, Saudi Arabia has purchased 2.07 million metric tons of U.S. corn, or 81.5 million bushels, up significantly compared …
Culver’s Restaurants Celebrating Farmers with Corn Mazes
Culver’s Restaurants Thank You Farmers campaign is celebrating farmers through 12 corn mazes this fall. The company announced last week that to date, 33 corn mazes in 19 states have joined together to show support for farmers and the future of farming over the past few years, with 12 corn mazes announced this year. The idea for growing messages of …
Economic Study Shows Renewable Fuel Standard Added to Price of Corn
A new economic study shows the Renewable Fuel Standard has added a third to the price of corn and saved the U.S. nearly 18-billion in gasoline costs. The Iowa State University study to be published soon in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics shows specific benefits to farmers, consumers, and the environment, from the nation’s renewable fuels requirement. Renewable Fuels …
Similar Yields Expected for Georgia Corn Crop
According to information provided by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agronomists, yields for the 2017 Georgia corn crop should be similar to previous years. They predict that yields from irrigated acres will be actually lower than normal, while yields from dryland acres are expected to be better than normal. According to UGA Extension’s new corn, soybean and small grains agronomist, …