In the News

The May issue will feature the annual listing of ag's largest marketing communications agencies plus salutes to NAMA' AgriBusiness Leader--Elanco President Jeff Simmons--and Agri-Marketer of the Year--AdFarm CEO Roger Reirson!

presents WEEKLY COMMODITY HIGHLIGHTS

Nearby Futures	Weekly Change	Friday's Close	Year Ago
Corn	+.06 1/2	6.89 1/2	4.04
Soybeans	-.04	13.58	9.39
Wheat	+.10	7.33	5.60
Cattle	+6.95	118.60	96.10
Hogs	+4.18	92.50	71.80
Cotton	+5.37	204.49	76.21
Milk	+.40	16.79	14.41
Crude Oil	+4.33	105.40	82.90

Comments: Rumors about a large sale of U.S. corn to China circulated for more than a week before USDA confirmed a 1.25-million-metric-ton purchase last Friday. The amount was larger than anticipated, but the corn futures market appeared to have the business fully factored into prices before the announcement. This Thursday morning a pair of important USDA reports will be released—the first survey-based plantings estimates of the year and the March 1 stocks report. The acreage report will grab most of the headlines, but the stocks estimates could be more important to the near-term price outlook. Commercial grain companies have been accumulating long positions in corn futures, which suggests strong demand despite high prices. The range of pre-report estimates for soybean plantings is wide and will depend on how many wheat fields get double cropped this summer. USDA's quarterly survey of hog producers found 1% more market hogs than a year earlier, but thanks to robust export demand for U.S. pork a strong seasonal rally by the cash hog market is still expected. The breeding herd was slightly larger than last March. Click on the Brock logo or call 1-800-558-3431 for more info on our services.