Trading volumes today were down 40-50 percent in some commodities, but the bottom line was some exiting and losses from the week before an extended holiday period. The story line no doubt is improved weather in Brazil and the U.S. Midwest, transportation hurdles, and stiff competition from both Russia and South America. For the week, March corn lost 10 cents, January soybeans were down 25.25 cents, March HRW lost 17.75 cents, March SRW was off 13 cents, and March HRS gave up 16.5 cents. 

Prices for corn and the soybean complex strengthened later in the session after the Union Pacific Railroad announced that it would reopen the critical El Paso and Eagle Pass interchanges with Mexico. The critical economic and grain linkage had an un...