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Coming in April: a Salute to the Nat'l Assn of Farm Broadcasting's (NAFB) 75th anniversary! And the Best of NAMA award honorees.

WEEKLY COMMODITY HIGHLIGHTS

Nearby Futures	Weekly Change	Friday's Close	Year Ago
Corn	+0.0900	3.7325	3.8675
Soybeans	+0.1350	9.0925	10.4075
Wheat	+0.2275	4.6225	4.7875
Cattle	+0.97	121.93	112.30
Hogs	+8.35	86.53	79.18
Cotton	+2.01	75.50	83.53
Milk	+0.12	14.92	14.12
Crude Oil	+2.30	58.73	61.25

Grain and soybean futures bounced back strongly off of lows early in the week, which included contract lows in corn and wheat. The corn market's rally was fueled by strength in soybeans and wheat, technical buying and concern about U.S. planting delays. Planting in parts of the South already looks to be delayed due to excessive moisture. Further north, the remarkably wet winter is also feeding concern about planting, although it is too soon to worry much about the corn crop getting planted - even with some of the worst flooding on record in Nebraska and parts of Iowa. Cotton futures were also underpinned by the excessive moisture, which has caused widespread flooding in the Delta. The upside for the grain and oilseeds complex is limited by demand concerns, including lackluster exports and weak ethanol production. The lack of positive trade news between the U.S. and China is also limiting the upside. Earlier hopes of a deal this March have faded, and have been replaced by reports that it could be April or even later before President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet.

In the livestock complex, lean hog futures rocketed higher, soaring throughout the week and making new contract highs. The market was propelled by growing concern about the African swine fever outbreak in China, and signs that it is worse that earlier feared. Late in the week, a report that a large quantity of Chinese pork was smuggled into the U.S. fed new concerns about the prospect of an outbreak in the U.S. Lean hog futures were also driven higher by continued strong gains in the cash market. Live cattle futures also rallied, although more modestly, with the harsh recent winter weather and the past week's flooding in the central Plains feeding supply concerns.

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