The Land Online - Money/Markets

Grain Outlook: Dollar recovery puts pressure on soy
The delayed corn planting provided pressure on the assumption fewer acres will be switched from beans to corn. Another week will provide us with a much better idea of how the Argentine situation will play out.
Livestock Angles: Meats show strength in April
The next few weeks will be significant for the direction of the cattle market into the summer months. Producers should be on alert to lock-in summer inventories on the first signs of weakness developing in the market.
Grain Angles: Watch for farm bill’s market impact
It has been a long time since the weather has been this uncooperative in the Upper Midwest. Planting progress is falling behind, but it is difficult to say if the market will react or not.
Farm Programs: U.S. House, Senate ‘very close’ to farm bill compromise
It now appears that Congress may be getting closer to reaching resolution on some of the key funding issues, which could lead to a compromise, and the ultimate passage of a new farm bill by Congress.
Grain Outlook: Wet conditions hold up planting
Wet conditions across the Midwest have doused early corn planting ideas. This would usually lead to more bean acres being planted than initial estimates indicated. This year may see some of that switch, but availability of quality bean seed may curb that number this year versus past years.
Grain Outlook: Argentine strike may resume
This week the U.S. Department of Agriculture released the April supply-demand report which showed an import increase of 4 million bushels, an increase in crush of 5 million bushels, exports 50 million bushels higher and seed usage up 6 million bushels.
Livestock Angles: Beef production up from last year
With competitive meat supplies abundant, the likelihood that beef cutouts could surpass their resistance area of $150 per hundredweight is not good in the months ahead.
Grain Angles: No surprises in intentions report
In a four-week period what the market lost the first two weeks it gained back in the last two weeks. This is probably typical of what we will see the rest of the spring and summer.
Pork Professor: Staph infections, occupational safety in the pig industry
In some countries it has been found that people exposed to livestock — including pigs, cattle and horses — are at higher risk of carrying methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus in their noses, and therefore are likely to be at elevated risk of developing MRSA infections.
Grain Outlook: Double-barreled bearish beans
Based on fundamental analysis of both crop years’ balance sheets, it looks like there should be some price erosion in soybeans, but as shown already this week, if corn continues to rally, beans will have a tough time going down much.
Grain Outlook: Argentine strike causes Chinese shift
Traders came back from the Easter holiday with their buying shoes on as July beans locked up their 50 cent per bushel limit the first two days of the week.
Livestock Angles: Demand, exports, weights weigh on market
The cattle market has not had much good news lately, and prices have slipped accordingly as we finish out the last week of March.
Grain Angles: Soybeans try out new limits
The market does not care where the corn comes from; it just knows that it will take 12 billion to 13 billion bushels of production to satisfy the current demand.
Farm Programs: Expected custom rate increases seen in 2008 survey
Due to the high cost of investment in farm machinery, an ever-increasing number of farmers are hiring other farmers to provide some or all of their operation’s machinery resources. This is especially true with new and younger farmers, and with children who decide to start farming with their parents.