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Cooler and still no rain in Wisconsin

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Cooler temperatures and no rain in Wisconsin last week. The National Ag Statistics Service Weekly Crop Progress Report from the Wisconsin Field Office shows 43 percent of the state’s soils are now very short of moisture, an 11 percent increase since last week. 40 percent is rated short and the remaining 17 percent is adequate. Milwaukee is more than 5 inches below normal precipitation year-to-date, Eau Claire and La Crosse are 6.7 inches below normal and Madison is 8.6 inches under.

The weather was ideal for the combines, 23 percent of the corn-for-grain has been harvested up 11 points from last week and 16 points ahead of the five-year-average for this date. The corn crop is 81 percent mature up from 63 percent a week ago and 54 percent normally mature by now. The condition of the crop about the same as a week ago with 38 percent poor to very poor shape and 26 percent fair. Moisture levels are dropping quickly and ear drop is a problem.

91 percent of Wisconsin soybeans have dropped their leaves compared to 78 percent last week and 77 percent for the five-year-average. 42 percent of the beans have been harvested up from 14 percent a week ago and 7 percent normally combined by this date. Like the corn, soybean moisture is dropping quickly and shatter is a problem.

The potato harvest is in full-tilt and the cranberries are coming-in as well. A hard frost in some areas last week has prompted some hay to be cut for one last crop.

Read the full NASS report here:

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , ,

Ohio’s corn and bean harvest 14% complete

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Corn and soybean harvest in Ohio advanced 6 points from a week ago.

As of Sunday, September 30, corn and soybean harvest in Ohio was 14 percent complete, that’s 3 points ahead of the average pace for both crops.

51 percent of the corn crop is in poor to very poor condition, while 48 percent is in fair-to-good condition.

28 percent of soybeans are rated poor to very poor, 66 percent of the crop is reported in fair-to-good condition, down one point from a week ago.

Pasture conditions improved in the past week, as of Sunday, 46 percent were rated poor to very poor, compared to 53 percent last week. 51 percent of pastures are in fair-to good condition.

Topsoil moisture in Ohio is improving. 38 percent is rated short to very short, 56 percent is called adequate, and 6 percent is rated surplus.

Other Ohio crops:

Winter wheat seeding is seven percent complete, five points behind average.

Fall and winter apple harvest is 58 percent complete, seven points ahead of average.

Grape harvest has reached 72 percent complete, 14 points ahead of average.

Potato harvest is 90 percent complete, ahead of both last year and the 5-year average.

Processing tomatoes are 89 percent harvested, compared to 77 percent for the 5-year average.

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Big correction for soybeans

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Soybeans were sharply lower on profit taking and technical selling. All of Friday’s gains were basically spillover from corn and wheat, and in any event, there was no fresh news. USDA reports 85% of this year’s crop is dropping leaves, compared to 71% last year and 77% for the five year average and 41% is harvested, compared to 15% last year and 19% on average, with 35% of the crop rated good to excellent, unchanged from last week. Soybean meal and oil were lower, following beans. According to Brazil’s Foreign Trade Ministry, soybean, soybean meal, and soybean oil exports for September were all down on the month and year at 1.68 million tons, 1.14 million tons, and 110,700 tons, respectively.

Corn was narrowly mixed, mostly firm in consolidation trade. Even with that bullish set of stocks numbers last week, the short term trend for corn continues to be lower. According to the Ag Department, 94% of corn is mature, compared to 74% a year ago and 72% on average and 54% is harvested, compared to 18% a year ago and 20% on average. 25% of the crop is in good to excellent condition, up 1% on the week. Ethanol futures were higher. Mexico bought 100,000 tons of optional origin corn (33,333 tons for 2012/13 delivery and 66,667 tons for 2013/14 delivery). Brazil’s Foreign Trade Ministry reports corn exports for September were a record for any month at 3.15 million tons.

The wheat complex was lower on profit taking and technical selling. Also, there was some much-needed rainfall in parts of the Southern Plains over the weekend, helping the hard red winter crop. USDA states 40% of the winter crop is planted, compared to 36% last year and 43% on average and 12% has emerged, compared to 12% last year and 16% on average due to continued dry soil conditions in some key U.S. growing areas. According to DTN, Algeria bought 700,000 tons of optional origin milling wheat and in sell-buy-sell activity, Japan picked up 22,700 tons of milling wheat. Russia Ag Ministry reports that total grain exports from the start of the marketing year July 1 through September 26 are 7.435 million tons, down 19% from the same period a year ago.

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Markets Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Iowa harvests make big advances

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The Iowa field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service reports the state’s corn and soybean harvests are more than halfway complete thanks to dry weather.

As of Sunday, 56% of corn is harvested, up 19% on the week, and 54% of beans are harvested, a 31% week to week increase. 20% of corn and 32% of soybeans are in good to excellent condition.

55% corn has no lodging and 65% has no ears dropping. 80% of soybeans have no lodging and 65% of the crop is not shattering.

4% of pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape, with 76% called poor to very poor.

93% of topsoil and 96% of subsoil are short to very short of moisture.

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Illinois corn harvest 71 percent complete

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Optimal weather conditions allowed corn harvest to continue to advance across much of the state last week.  According to the latest Crop Progress report from the Illinois Field Office of the National Ag Statistics Service – 71 percent of the corn crop is now harvested.  That is compared to the 29 percent last year and the five-year average of 33 percent.  Ninety-eight percent of the crop has reached maturity.

Soybean harvest has advanced to 22 percent complete compared to 10 percent last year and 21 percent for the five-year average.  Ninety-eight percent of the crop is now turning yellow and 85 percent is dropping leaves.  Farmers have reported some frost damage to late planted soybeans; 22 percent of the soybean crop is rated good to excellent and 41 percent poor to very poor.

Nine percent of the winter wheat is planted with 1 percent emerged.

Soil moisture has continued to improve as 48 percent of the topsoil is now adequate to surplus and 22 percent of the subsoil moisture is rated adequate to surplus.

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Feedlot cattle may trade early in the week

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The cash cattle market was mostly quiet on Monday with the distribution of showlists the main item of business. DTN reported they had heard of a few bids of 121.00 in parts of the South. Even token buying interest on Monday is quite unusual, possibly confirming ideas that some packers are starting out extremely close to the knife. It is possible significant trade volume could develop early on Wednesday or so this week. The new showlists are mixed, larger in Nebraska and Texas, but smaller in Kansas and Colorado. Overall the early October offering seems to be about steady. Monday’s cattle slaughter is estimated at 126,000 head, 2,000 less than last week, and down 4,000 from last year.

Boxed beef cutout values were steady on the choice and lower on select. Choice boxed beef was .21 higher at 189.19, and the select was 1.23 lower at 176.62.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts settled 75 to 155 higher. Early to strong losses in the cattle futures market were quickly replaced by moderate to strong buyer support. The sharp triple digit gains in lean hog markets as well as building pressure across the grain complex helped to redevelop buyer activity through both the nearby and deferred cattle contracts. October settled .95 higher at 123.02, and December was up 1.42 at 126.12.

Feeder cattle settled 75 to 165 points higher on the pullback in the grain complex and renewed buying activity along the live cattle futures market. The market turned sharply higher in the electronic market despite the lack of active trade. October settled .87 higher at 144.67 and November was up 1.27 at 145.62.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Closing Futures & Livestock Briefs, Livestock, Markets Tagged With: ,

54% of U.S. corn, 41% of soybeans harvested

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

USDA reports the national corn and soybean harvest paces remain much faster than average, but winter wheat emergence is slower than normal due to continued dry soil conditions in some areas.

As of Sunday, 54% of this year’s corn crop is harvested, compared to 18% this time last year and the five year average of 20%. 94% of the crop has reached maturity, compared to 74% a year ago and 72% on average. 25% of corn is in good to excellent condition, up 1% on the week, and 50% is poor to very poor, down 1%.

41% of soybeans are harvested, compared to 15% last year and 19% on average, and 85% are dropping leaves, compared to 71% a year ago and 77% on average. 35% of beans are rated good to excellent, steady with last week, and 33% are called poor to very poor, down 1% on the week.

40% of this year’s winter wheat crop is planted, compared to 36% a year ago and 43% on average, while 12% has emerged, compared to 12% last year and 16% on average.

20% of U.S. pastures and rangelands are in good to excellent shape, unchanged on the week, and 55% is poor to very poor, a 1% week to week decline.

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

One big show!

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

World Dairy Expo kicks-off on Tuesday for its annual five-day run at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Show Manager Mark Clarke says all indications are this will be a big show this year. Clarke says based off what we’ve seen from requests for international travel, based off the number of cattle entries and based off the number of commercial exhibitors, “we’re in for a good show.”

International attendance at the show does vary from year-to-year depending upon the global economy and security among other things but right now Clarke says the global economy looks ok and there is a big push in China, India and Russia to build their dairy industry. “And they are really counting on the U.S. not only from a genetics standpoint but from a management standpoint as well.” The type of international individual attending the show varies greatly as well. Some are private entrepreneurs while others are representing their government.

Clarke says attendees are going to notice some upgrades at the show this year including new lighting in the Coliseum and the dairy barns. There is also a new 4-sided LED video scoreboard over the show ring and the seats have all been reupholstered. In the trade show, another 26,000 square feet has been put under-roof in the New Holland Trade Center, “That helped us bring in some new companies that were on our waiting list.”

Over the next five days, Clarke and his WDE management team, an army of volunteers including the U.W. Badger Dairy Club and 100 to 150 employees will work to make this show worth the trip for all those visitors.

AUDIO:Clarke talks about the show 9:00 mp3

Filed Under: 2012 World Dairy Expo, Featured, Special Reports Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Harvest continues at rapid pace

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Indiana’s corn and soybean harvests continue to rapidly advance.  Farmers are running nearly 8 days ahead of the five-year average pace with 35 percent of the corn crop harvested compared to 9 percent last year and 22 percent for the five-year average.  Corn is testing approximately 21 percent moisture.  Ninety-one percent of the crop has matured and 66 percent remains in poor to very poor condition. 

Eighty-eight percent of the soybean acreage is shedding leaves compared to 72 percent last year and 91 percent for the five-year average.  Harvest is running about 2 days behind the five-year average pace as 18 percent of soybean acres have been harvested compared to 4 percent last year and 22 percent on the five-year average.  Twenty-nine percent is rated good to excellent and 34 percent is called poor to very poor.

Eight percent of the winter wheat crop has been planted compared to 6 percent last year and 10 percent for the five-year average.

Recent precipitation has helped replenish soil moisture as 70 percent of the Top Soil has adequate to surplus amounts of moisture and 40 percent of the Subsoil moisture is Adequate to Surplus.

Pasture conditions also continue to improve as 24 percent are now called good to excellent.

Filed Under: Crops, News, USDA/Government Tagged With: , , , , ,

Analysts: Pork industry in contraction mode

October 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Hog market analysts agree that “significant contraction” is taking place in the pork industry.

The question is whether it’s happening fast enough that producers may see profitable prices in 2013.

University of Missouri ag economist Dr. Ron Plain notes that hog slaughter this fall has far exceeded earlier projections.

“The week before this was the fifth-largest ever.  The week before that was the third-largest hog slaughter ever,” Plain said last Friday. “If you look at the last seven weeks, hog slaughter has been 5.3 percent above a year ago—and four percent above the level implied by the June market hog inventory.”

And Plain says the numbers in Friday’s hogs and pigs report confirmed that producers have “pulled ahead” on marketing their hogs.

“And that’s good news for the rest of this quarter as hog slaughter should drop off relative to what it’s been and give an opportunity for hog prices to rebound a bit.”

Dan Vaught with Vaught Futures Insight points to the 2.7 and 1.5 percent year-over-year declines in fall and winter farrowing intentions as further evidence that “significant contraction” is taking place.

“So we’re obviously looking at significantly smaller hog and pork supplies by next spring and summer—and probably a significant increase in prices,” Vaught says.

The report also showed what analyst Altin Kalo calls “a dramatic reduction” in the breeding herd, mainly due to a big drop in the number of gilts being retained by producers.

AUDIO: Excerpts from Pork Board-sponsored conference call with market analysts (12:10 MP3)

 

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News Tagged With: ,
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