Chad Hart, ISU Extension Grain Marketing Economist, provides a summary of the latest WASDE report.

The trade was hoping to receive some additional demand strengthening, but USDA’s update provided next to no changes. The December report is almost always about demand, as the corn and soybean supply numbers are rarely changed in this month’s report (saving up the changes for the “final” estimates in January). The corn numbers remained as in November, with 2020/21 ending stocks at 1.7 billion bushels and the 2020/21 marketing year average price estimate at $4 per bushel. The only demand shift in soybeans was for domestic crush, up 15 million bushels. That lowered 2020/21 ending stocks to 175 million bushels, so the market should be getting close to “pipeline” levels (stock projections that are low enough where price can rise significantly to limit usage and hold the stocks at that level, preserving a small reserve going into the next marketing year). The 2020/21 marketing year average price estimate was raised 15 cents to $10.55 per bushel.

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Chad Hart, ISU Extension Grain Marketing Economist, provides a summary of the latest WASDE report.

Compared to trade expectations, USDA lowered corn and soybean yield and production estimates and raised corn exports by more than expected. The slide in yields was across a broad swath of the country, reflecting the longer-term impacts of the drought and the extremely dry crops were brought in (yield loss due to crop moisture being below to well below average). Corn dropped 2.6 bushels per acre, knocking 215 million bushels out of total production. Soybeans dropped 1.2 bushels per acre, taking 98 million bushels out. For soybeans, the yield drop dominated the other small tweaks and the lack of adjustments to crush and exports. With the new soy stocks to use ratio now below 5%, the report provided another upward leg for the soybean market. USDA raised its 2020/21 season average to $10.40, the futures market was already at $10.60 and added roughly 30 cents today.

For corn, the yield drop was only part of the story. USDA also projected exports to rise to 2.65 billion bushels, a record. The export rise can be chalked up to a near doubling of expected corn sales to China. Most of those Chinese sales have already been made (roughly 85%), but only 15% of the targeted exports to China have been delivered at this point. 2020/21 ending stocks were lowered to 1.7 billion bushels (lowest level since 2013/14) and the USDA season-average price estimate rose to $4 per bushel. The futures market was at roughly $3.70 before the report, so for corn, USDA is already projecting continued price strengthening.

An agricultural economics and business website.