08
SEP
2016

Morning Comments – Thursday September 8, 2016

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Wednesday’s commodity market was higher for soybeans, corn and wheat.  Specs and commercials pushed the markets higher based on continued strong Soybean and Meal demand.  The Macro Markets were mixed as the DOW was lower; Oil higher and the US Dollar Index trading higher.  The Dow closed at 18,526 down 12 points for the day.  Crude Oil closed at $46.18, up $1.49 per barrel.  The West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) October 16 to October 17 spread closed tonight at $4.45 carry to October 2017.  October Heating Oil closed at $1.4400, up $0.0289 per gallon.  The US Dollar Index closed at $94.96, up $0.13.  The 10-year US Treasury bond closed unchanged at a 1.54% yield and the 30-year bond closed at 2.23%.  Wednesday’s CBOT closes were 4 to 4.75 cents per bushel higher for corn, 11 to 17.5 cents higher for soybeans and 2.5 to 4.25 cents higher for Chicago wheat.  Cash bids at the river have traded at $10.50 after they reached $11.47+ for November through January for soybeans and SEP corn is trading around $3.38 after hitting a top in $4.65-4.75 area for JAN delivery corn.  We are currently bidding about $0.15 to $0.20 behind those prices for the same time slots at our local elevators.  If you need help with marketing and logistics, we can help sell your crop arrange transportation to the terminals if necessary.

USDA Crop Progress reports released Monday afternoon estimated corn Good-Excellent condition at 74% versus 75% LW, 68% LYR and 54.4% for the 5-year average.  The soybean condition ratings were 73% GE, 73% LW and 63% last year with a 5-year average of 55.0%.  Missouri Corn condition was reported as 75% GE, 76% LW, 51% LYR and 42.0% – 5yr. avg.  Missouri Soybeans were 74% GE, 73% LW, 32% LYR and 37.8% – 5-year average.  This report was bearish.  Missouri corn condition is rated 24% better than last year and Missouri soybeans are 42% better than one year ago.  The current weather has been crop friendly and is pressuring prices.

We harvested our Buchheit I-55 Tech Park corn plot on Wednesday.  Corn yields averaged around 175.5 bpa and moisture averaged 15.4% on corn that was planted on April 18th.  Many hybrids averaged in the 185 area and the top hybrids were at 200 bpa.  The plot winner was Merschman 1311 R-17 with a 200.43 bpa yield at 14.0% moisture.  We were pleased with the stalk strength even though we had been infested with Southern Rust.  We had two hybrids out of 29 that had some stand ability issues.  We did not see any damage issues and the test weights were good.  Check out our website:  www.buchheitagri.com and click on the “Tech Park” tab to see what our plot yields have been over the years.  We should have the 2016 Corn Plot data posted in a few days.

A new tech startup in the field of grain yield prediction is sending out information to a group of Beta Testers of which I am one.  The name of the program is Kernel and it is being developed by TellUSLabs.  You can check them out at:  www.telluslabs.com/kernel   Their prediction on 8-30-16 was:  Corn at 171 bpa on 86.55 million harvested acres, yielding a total US Corn Crop of 14.81 billion bushels and Soybeans at 50.4 bpa on 86.55 million harvested acres, yielding a total US Soybean Crop of 4.36 billion bushels.  This technology utilizes improved satellite imagery and soil moisture prediction technology in order to predict crop yields.  Their predictions today are 170.9 bpa for corn and 50.9 bpa for soybeans.  Corn is down 0.1 bpa in the last week and soybeans are up 0.5 bpa.

Check out our Daily Grain Bids (updated every 10 minutes during the trading session) by clicking on:        www.buchheitagri.com/biehle-grain-bids/   or   www.buchheitagri.com/morehouse-grain-bids/      or feel free to call us at 800-622-7937 (ask for Katlyn, Eric or Dave) or call 573-667-9921 or 573-768-0489 and ask for Shon.

Long Accumulation by the Specs and Commercials pushed the soybean and meal markets higher today as Specs bought 8,000 contracts of corn to finish the day at 147,000 contracts short. They bought 6,000 contracts of soybeans to close at 103,000 contracts long and they bought 3,000 contracts of wheat to close at 118,000 contracts short.  Specs bought 4,000 contracts of SBM and are long 51,000 contracts of Soybean Meal.

CIF bids for corn and soybeans have softened in the Gulf, wheat CIF is softer with September wheat at (27 bid-35 ask), OND wheat (55 bid-no offer).  October soybeans were quoted (76 bid-81 ask).  Sep corn was quoted (42 bid-44 ask), LH Sep was quoted (52-56); October corn was (57 bid-64 asked) and DEC corn was (58 bid-65ask).

Barge freight has firmed.  Freight firmed 60-70% in the last three weeks with the nearby   August at 250-300.  Harvest barges traded today at 350-500 for SEP, 460-475 for OCT and NOV at 325-425, DEC-JAN 275-300.

Live Cattle futures were sharply higher gaining $2.40 to $1.43; Feeder Cattle were higher, and Lean Hog futures were $0.53 to $1.95 higher.  October Live Cattle closed at $102.43, up $2.40 and December closed at $104.20, up $2.28.  September Feeder Cattle closed at 133.15, up $2.65 and October Feeder Cattle closed at $130.75, up $2.55.  Lean Hogs were higher in the nearby.  October closed at $60.88, up $1.95.  Hog futures rebounded after they took a hit from pressure due to losses in the cattle markets and from the news that Smithfield Foods Pork Plant in Monmouth, IL will be closed while they recover from a Labor Day fire.  The Smithfield plant kills 10,400 head of hogs per day.  As we head towards the large fall hog kills, it is crucial that we have all the shackle space available.  Cash Hogs are called steady to $0.50 lower on Thursday and Cash Cattle are called steady after trades at $170 in the beef and $106 live on limited numbers in Nebraska on Wednesday.  The Pork Cutout finished at $79.80, down $0.84.  Beef Feedlots are asking $110-111 in the South and $173-175+ in the beef after seeing trade at $175 late last week.  Boxed Beef was lower as Choice traded up $0.37 to close at $191.66 and Select traded down $2.87 to close at $183.66.

Fescue prices were quite strong during the 2016 Harvest.  We paid prices to range from $0.48 to $0.50 per pound.  A good fescue fertility program involves the addition of 40 lbs. of nitrogen per acre in late August, followed by an application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the spring.  You can spray 2,4-D and Dicamba for weeds in either the spring or fall.  If you have a very heavy infestation of weeds, you might consider doing both.

We have updated our test plot results on our website, you can check out our 2015 corn yields and some 2014 soybean and corn yields at:  http://www.buchheitagri.com/tech-park-data

Be sure to check out our website at:  www.buchheitagri.com  and see the marketing information available.  If you scroll down on the front page you will find our market info page supported by AgriCharts.  If you examine the left hand side of that page you will discover the options that allow you to create price graphs or charts and also to check on historical spread information.

We are providing a DP program for those producers wanting to wait for a better day in the markets.  We can help develop a marketing plan and a floor price program.  Call Katlyn, Chad, Eric or Dave at 800-622-7937, Shon at 573-667-9921 or 768-0489.