Problems with the Russian and Canadian wheat crops this year have lit a fire under U.S. wheat exports. U.S. Wheat Associates director of communications Steve Mercer says there is no indication that the market will slow down anytime soon, but he cautions that transportation bottlenecks could present a problem this fall. As for export hot spots, Mercer says the Middle Eastern countries of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, traditionally big buyers of Russian wheat, are turning to the U.S. to fill their wheat needs.
Corn harvest approaching 60 percent in IL
September 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The corn harvest in Illinois has reached 57 percent complete, a jump of 19 points from a week earlier and a whopping 55 percent ahead of last year’s pace. 53 percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition. The Illinois field office of the National Ag Statistics Service says yields are reported as varied with the most disappointing found on corn following corn.
Soybean harvest in the Land of Lincoln is 22 percent complete, compared to just 1 percent a year ago. 62 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent.
8 percent of the winter wheat crop has been planted, sorghum harvest is 32 percent complete and Illinois pastures are rated 47 percent good to excellent.
Temperatures across Illinois last week were 7 to 9 degrees above normal.
Wet, wet, wet Wisconsin
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
A lot of water…the only way to describe conditions in the northern two-thirds of Wisconsin. Slow, steady rain from Wednesday night until Friday morning inundated fields, washed out roads and is still causing flooding problems along some Wisconsin rivers. Up to 7 inches of rain fell from Trempealeau County to Shawano County. Soil moisture is 79 to 80 percent surplus in the north central and northeast districts, 53 to 58 percent surplus in the northwest, west central and central districts. It is going to be a while before farmers can get back into the fields in these areas. Rainfall was minimal in the southern districts. Statewide soil moisture average is 62 percent adequate, 37 percent surplus.
Year-to-date precipitation is now 3.5 inches above normal in Milwaukee, 5.33 inches above normal in Eau Claire, 6.62 above normal in Madison, 8.5 inches above normal in La Crosse and 9.86 inches above normal in Green Bay.
The Wisconsin corn crop is 97 percent dented and 63 percent mature, both well ahead of the five-year average. Corn silage chopping is 78 percent complete, 15 points ahead of normal for this date while corn harvested for grain is 8 percent combined, twice the norm for this date.
The Badger State soybean crop is just slightly ahead of normal with 95 percent of the leave turned and 72 percent dropped.
Winter wheat planting was in full swing but came to a halt with the rain on Wednesday night. The cranberry harvest is underway across the state.
China puts tariffs on U.S. poultry
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
China has announced it will impose a 105.4 percent tariff on U.S. poultry imports. In making the announcement, the Chinese Commerce Ministry says a yearlong investigation found the U.S. was selling poultry at a price much lower than the cost of production. Chinese officials deny the tariffs are in retaliation for the U.S. imposing tariffs on Chinese tires.
China bought $678.2 million worth in U.S. chicken in 2009.
CWT assists in exporting another 230 metric tons of cheese
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) accepted two requests from Darigold for assistance in selling 230 metric tons (507,063 pounds) of American cheese to customers in the Middle East. The product will be delivered in October 2010.
Since CWT reactivated the Export Assistance program March 18, 2010, it has assisted members in making export sales of 44.5 million pounds of cheese to 23 countries on four continents. In addition, sales of butter and anhydrous milkfat totaling 33.1 million pounds have been made to nine countries on three continents.
IN corn harvest nears 50 percent
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last year at this time, corn harvest in Indiana was 2 percent complete, as of Sunday, September 26, the Indiana field office of the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) reports corn harvest has reached 46 percent complete, well ahead of the previous record pace of 37 percent, established back in 1991. 94 percent of the crop is mature, 57 percent rated good to excellent.
By area, corn harvest is 35 percent complete in the north, 47 percent complete in Central Indiana and 67 percent complete in the south.
Soybean harvest is 41 percent complete, a year ago, just 10 percent was in the bin. 53 percent of the Indiana soybean crop is in good to excellent condition.
By area, soybean harvest is 27 percent complete in the north, 55 percent in Central Indiana and 36 percent complete in southern Indiana.
10 percent of the wheat crop has been planted, tobacco harvest is 88 percent complete and pasture conditions continue to deteriorate, with just 10 percent rated good to excellent.
Topsoil moisture 86 percent short to very short.
Wet weather limits Missouri fieldwork
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Wet weather around most of Missouri limited harvest activity and kept winter wheat planters out of the fields last week.
The state’s National Ag Statistics Field Office reports an average of 3.4 days suitable for fieldwork with an average of 1.7 inches of rainfall and temperatures generally 4 to 8 degrees warmer than normal.
54% of topsoil has adequate moisture, with another 35% reporting a surplus.
Fall tillage is at 7%, almost a month ahead of 2009 and 10 days faster than the five year average.
42% of corn has been harvested, well ahead of last year but slightly behind average with moisture levels between 14.9% and 17.8%. 49% of the crop is in good to excellent shape.
17% of soybeans are mature, also ahead of last year but behind average, with 51% in good to excellent condition.
4% of the winter wheat crop is planted, compared to 3% a year ago and 6% on average.
50% of pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent condition, with the biggest week to week improvement in the south central district and the largest decline in the Bootheel.
A pretty wet week across Iowa
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Last week saw a lot of rainfall across Iowa to go along with widely variable temperatures.
According to the state’s National Ag Statistics Field Office, there was an average of 2.2 days available for fieldwork with reports of flash flooding and even hail in some areas.
Day-time temperatures were as high as the upper 80s early in the week and as low as the 50s and 60s later on.
58% of the state has adequate topsoil moisture while 41% has a surplus, and 64% has adequate subsoil moisture, with 34% reporting a surplus.
91% of corn has reached maturity and 8% has been harvested, with 74% reporting no lodging and 80% no ear droppage.
For soybeans, 95% has turned color, 75% is dropping leaves and 7% has been harvested. 77% of the state reports no lodging and 86% no shattering.
67% of pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape, and 96% of the third crop of alfalfa is harvested.
Vilsack addresses concerns on E15, corn prices
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As corn and wheat prices continue to rise, some world leaders are concerned about a rerun of the 2008 food crisis. For some, that concern has been heightened even more by news that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will likely approve an increase in the ethanol blend to 15 percent in the coming weeks.
A reporter with the Financial Times Online asked Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack if a move to E15 will have a big impact on the pricing of corn in the U.S.
“It shouldn’t—and the reason it shouldn’t is because we are branching out beyond corn,” Vilsack responded. “I think there’s a recognition that in order to meet the future needs of biofuels—at whatever level, whatever the blend rate might be—that we have to look for ways in which we can use woody biomass, perennial grasses, other cellulosic materials, animal waste—a variety of different ways in which to produce biofuels.
“We are very intent—the President is very intent—on me utilizing the power and the resources and the tools available at USDA to make sure that biofuels are produced in all parts of the country—which means that we move away from an over-reliance on corn,” Vilsack said.
Vilsack said even though global commodity prices are rising, a return to the 2008 food crisis is not imminent because there are higher food stocks now.
Demand talk supports soybeans
September 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Soybeans were hit new two year tops on technical buying and spread trade with corn and wheat. There’s talk on the floor about fresh demand from China and while large portions of South America are dry, at this point, that’s largely a seasonal issue and there is rain in the forecast. USDA reports that as of Sunday, 77% of beans are at the leaf dropping stage, compared to 59% last year and 72% on average, with 17% harvested, compared to 5% last year and 13% on average, and 63% rated good to excellent, unchanged on the week. Soybean oil was up and meal was down on product spread trade and global demand projections.
Corn was lower on harvest pressure, technical selling and profit taking, along with spread trade against beans and spillover pressure from wheat. At this point, it looks like traders are waiting for the October 8 USDA supply, demand and production estimates. According to the USDA, 85% of corn is mature, compared to 35% last year and 65% on average, while 27% is harvested, compared to 6% last year and 15% on average, and 66% is in good to excellent condition, down 2% from last week. Ethanol futures were lower. Japan bought 108,712 tons of 2010/11 U.S. corn.
The wheat complex was sharply lower on profit taking, along with fund and technical selling. There was a continued lack of fresh demand news, there’s rain in the forecast for dry portions of Russia, Ukraine and the Black Sea region, and there’s a drier pattern expected for winter wheat planting in the Southern U.S. Plains. USDA states 89% of spring wheat is harvested, compared to 93% last year and 98% on average, while 33% of winter wheat is planted, compared to 36% last year and 38% on average, with 10% emerged, compared to 12% last year and 12% on average. European wheat was lower on a lack of fresh news with November Paris down 1.6% and November London .4% lower. Egypt issued a tender for 55,000 to 60,000 tons of wheat.
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