The Final Bell

What is the best way to describe the corn and soybean markets?

How would you describe the current situation with Crude Oil?

Is gasoline demand starting to improve? What are the major problems that the ethanol industry is having right now?

Can ethanol recover much in price without Crude Oil finding a bottom in price? Do you think we are close to finding a bottom in the corn and soybean markets? How should farmers go about marketing their remaining old crop and new crop corn?

Lessons learned from the crude oil market this week. Changed the paradigms & you can’t count on the old rules. COVID-19…don’t know the scope of the demand destruction. Ethanol demand. Positive note is weather issues in the Black Sea, South America & China. China & Phase One…could mean a better second ½ of the year. Increase in ASF.

Stress levels in the markets right now. Will gas prices come down, how does the crude oil trade of yesterday effect the markets going forward. Could there be stabilization in the ethanol market that will affect the corn, livestock & dollar trade? Meal market turn’s around. More South American crops headed to Asia then in year’s past. Packing plants are coming back online.

Crude oil trade was everyone’s talk. What does this mean for our grain’s? Ethanol production-what will happen if we don’t have the market once harvest begins, planting progress. Export inspections didn’t have anything good today. Stimulus money announced on Friday…what does that mean for grains/livestock? More plants are closing due to COVID-19

Another week closer to whatever the new norm will be. Mind sets are starting to change. Tough week was the corn market, folks are getting anxious to get back into the field. Will there be big acres & supplies? How is the basis holding out for corn & beans? How is the ethanol market faring? cattle started to stabilize-there is a long way yet to go. Cash trade on cattle has slowed down. What does all this pricing mean to the consumer as they head to the grocery store? How did cash fair for cattle & hogs?

Corn has a reality of struggles, beans export sales, look at the forecast for beans & a lot of good things could happen, but outside influences will have an effect. Not everyone will have a weather-related market in 2020. Cattle has had a nice bounce off the lows. Is a June low in place? Some assistance for the cattle & hog guys is helping. Struggles within the packing market.

Lower grains, how did the weekly ethanol report factor in? Port disruption talk isn’t not the loading of the ships, unloading the barges that come down the river does take time. No major effects right now. Wheat has dealt with very cold mornings, is there some damage being seen? Will Kansas be the hardest hit? How is COVID effecting the movement of pork & beef. So much talk of food shortages, but the cold storage numbers say something different. Is African Swine Fever still an issue?

Mind boggling is one way to describe the market trade. Looking at the other side, what is yet to come. We know where we are, prices have crashed, now what? What is a realistic outlook going forward? What are the opportunities? Can the livestock & dairy market survive COVID-19…will we need some new marketing tools for the tool box?

Markets tank again on a Monday for the cattle market. Limit down on the live & feeder cattle. JBS closing two plants for two days, plants are slowing down & or going dark. Is the market worried about the shortened cattle kills? Heavy cattle concerns? Positives on the cattle side? Good weekend clearance. Demand for fast food hamburger is crazy. Smithfield closes plant in SD. From pork exports. St. Joe numbers-Brad checked with the USDA on the numbers…186.08 formulated cattle dressed steer 167.89 Was hoping for some life in the grains, some hopefully might be stability in the fuel market. One dry spot in South America

How was the markets reaction after the USDA report? Ethanol still have a stronghold on the market? Short & long term effects on ethanol? Artificial negativity in the market. Russia & OPEC working out “deal”. Future deals. A lot of outside influence on the trade this week. DDGs effects go beyond the grain markets. Cattle market swings to the negative once again.