Agriculture

U.S. corn inventories are tightening faster than expected, the USDA announced Thursday, citing stronger-than-forecast exports and record Mexican demand—even as President Trump’s trade wars cloud the outlook for agricultural markets. Key USDA Revisions:🌽 Corn: 2024-25 ending stocks cut to 1.47B bushels (vs. 1.54B in March). Exports raised to 2.55B bushels (up 100M bushels), driven by […]

The European Union’s 25% tariff on U.S. corn, set to take effect April 15, is poised to disrupt feed grain markets, forcing buyers to pay 6–7 more per ton for alternative supplies from Ukraine and Brazil. Meanwhile, U.S. soybeans—for now—escape immediate penalties, offering temporary relief to EU importers. Key Impacts:🌽 Corn Crisis: EU imports of […]

Cocoa prices surged Wednesday, staging a dramatic intraday recovery from five-month lows, while sugar extended losses as markets weighed Trump’s partial tariff pause against persistent supply concerns. Key Market Moves (May 15):🍫 Cocoa (NY CCc1): +7.7% to 8,317/ton after hitting 7,613 (lowest since Dec 2024). ☕ Coffee: Robusta flat at $4,797/ton; arabica dipped 0.3% but […]

Chicago soybean futures rallied Tuesday, recovering from a four-month low as traders looked past trade war jitters to focus on upcoming USDA reports and adverse Midwest weather. Corn and wheat also edged higher, supported by a weaker dollar and tightening supply concerns. Market Highlights (April 9 Close):Soybeans (Sv1): +9¾¢ to $9.92¾/bushel, rebounding after Monday’s December-low. […]

Russia’s Stavropol region—the country’s third-largest wheat producer—was battered by a severe hailstorm Tuesday, damaging crops and intensifying concerns over 2025’s harvest in the world’s top wheat exporter. The storm follows a wave of freak April snowstorms and sub-zero frosts across key farming zones, raising fears of reduced yields and potential export curbs. Key Developments:❄️ Extreme […]

Chicago grain markets staged a late-session recovery Monday, with soybeans and corn shaking off early tariff-driven losses as weather threats and trade war uncertainty fueled whipsaw price action. Wheat gained on drying U.S. Plains forecasts. Closing Levels:🌱 Soybeans (Sv1): Up 6¢ to $9.83/bushel, rebounding from December lows. 🌽 Corn (Cv1): Rose 4.25¢ to $4.64½/bushel on […]

The global coffee, cocoa, and sugar markets plunged to multi-month lows Monday as President Trump’s escalating tariffs sparked recession fears, with Vietnam’s robusta coffee hit hardest by a 46% U.S. levy—triggering the worst selloff in months. Market Freefall:☕ Coffee Carnage: Robusta (LRCc2) crashed 6.4% to $4,800/ton (lowest since Dec 2024). Arabica (KCc1) dropped 5.7% to […]

Brazil’s booming soybean exports are facing major shipping delays as Indigenous protests and poor road conditions disrupt shipments from the strategic Amazon port of Miritituba, a critical hub for global traders like Cargill and Bunge. The Munduruku Indigenous group has blockaded sections of the Transamazonian Highway near Miritituba for two weeks, cutting off an estimated […]

China’s retaliatory tariffs on US farm goods are set to accelerate its reliance on Brazilian soybeans, dealing another blow to American farmers already reeling from years of trade tensions. Beijing’s 34% additional duty on all US goods, announced Friday, follows earlier 10-15% tariffs on $21 billion worth of US agricultural products—effectively freezing American soybean exports […]

Soybeans Slide: Chicago soybean futures (Sv1) fell 0.2% to $10.09¾/bushel, on track for their biggest weekly loss (1.3%) since late February as traders brace for potential Chinese retaliation against U.S. tariffs. Corn & Wheat Edge Up: Corn (Cv1) rose 0.2% while wheat (Wv1) gained 0.1%, supported by short-covering and relief that Mexico—the top buyer of […]