- Ag Markets with Mike Zuzolo
- farmdoc Projects October ARC/PLC Payments
- USTR Posts the Board of Trade will facilitate trade with China
- Trump Supports Chinese Farm Ownership and University Students
- Ag Weather with Eric Snodgrass

The May 15, 2026, Closing Market Report details recent developments in agricultural commodities, U.S.-China trade relations, and weather patterns. 

Market analyst Mike Zuzolo characterizes the recent commodity sell-off as a fund correction rather than a definitive market top, highlighting severe heat impacts on the Kansas wheat crop and noting that the recent Trump-Xi meetings resulted in renewed U.S. beef export licenses to China. 

On trade policy, the U.S. Trade Representative is developing a "Board of Trade" to manage bilateral commerce in non-sensitive goods, while President Trump publicly supported Chinese nationals purchasing U.S. farmland and attending American universities to support those respective domestic markets. 

Domestically, University of Illinois economists projected upcoming average ARC and PLC payments at $58 per acre for corn, $29 for soybeans, and $47 for wheat. 

Finally, meteorologist Eric Snodgrass reported on severe dust storms in the Northern Plains and expanding drought in Nebraska, warning that forecasting the upcoming summer weather remains highly uncertain despite a rapidly developing El Niño.