What You Need to Know Today:
Wheat prices surged after Ukrainian strikes on Russian vessels and infrastructure disrupted grain shipments, halting traffic through the Sea of Azov, Kerch Strait, and Black Sea. The July WASDE report offered a modestly supportive outlook for corn, wheat, and soybeans, with revisions resulting in slightly tighter balance sheets across all three commodities. Corn saw the most significant adjustment, as USDA raised old-crop demand estimates substantially from the June report. The USDA continues to announce new-crop soybean sales to China, which is a promising sign for exports. Hog markets showed relative strength compared with cattle this week, with firm pork values and improved packer demand providing support...
The trade deficit in goods and services came in at $77.6 billion in May, slightly smaller than the consensus estimate of $78.4 billion. After a few months of relative stability, the trade deficit widened in May. The increase in the deficit for the month was due to both a rise in imports, which...
Every June combines begin their annual sweep across the winter wheat fields of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. At the same time, USDA releases its Acreage and Crop Progress reports, providing the first comprehensive look at the size and condition of the crop. Most years the reports simply confirm...