Richard Brock

Richard Brock is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report. As a regular Corn & Soybean Digest columnist, he offers marketing advice and outlooks.

May 15, 2012

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3 Things to Watch After May USDA Reports: Corn Yield, Soybean Acreage, Corn Feed/Residual Use

USDA reports frequently move markets and last week’s first supply/demand for the 2012 grain and oilseed crops was no exception. The day of the report, July corn closed down 20¢/bu. and cotton down 4¢/lb., while July beans closed 25¢/bu. higher and wheat 1¢ higher. Despite the immediate market reaction to the numbers, some aspects of the reports are debatable. Here are a few numbers Brock analysts expect to change....More
May 15, 2012

Article

U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Goes Into Effect May 15

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement about the U.S-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, or Colombia TPA, which enters into force today."Beginning today, U.S. agricultural exporters receive duty-free access on more than half of the products we currently export to Colombia, and virtually all remaining tariffs will be eliminated within 15 years."...More
May 14, 2012

Article

Corn Market Direction Unfolding; Magnitude Still Uncertain

The USDA’s projections of U.S. and world corn and feed grain supply-and-demand conditions presented in the May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report set the benchmark by which the corn market will judge unfolding events. According to Darrel Good, a University of Illinois agricultural economist, those events are continually unfolding, with some of the more important ones to be revealed this summer....More
May 11, 2012

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Markets Plead for Soybeans; Farmers Have Time to Respond

Much has happened since early March that could sway farmers to take advantage of an increasing market for soybeans and plant more of the crop – a change that could help improve projections of decades-low supplies, says Chris Hurt, a Purdue University Extension agricultural economist....More
Apr. 24, 2012

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2012- 2013 Corn Marketing Year Expectations

The steady decline in prices over the past few months reflects, in part, expectations for a large 2012 U.S. corn crop and some rebuilding of inventories during the year ahead, according to University of Illinois Agricultural Economist Darrel Good....More
Apr. 17, 2012

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Has the 2011 Corn Crop Been Rationed?

As corn prices have declined substantially over the past week and the prospect is for relatively small ending stocks, Darrel Good, a University of Illinois agricultural economist, believes it is important to continue to monitor the rate of corn consumption to confirm that the necessary rationing is occurring....More
Apr. 10, 2012

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Few Surprises in April 2012 Supply/Demand Report

The key points in Tuesday morning’s USDA monthly supply/demand update were the lack of adjustment to U.S. corn ending stocks and a slightly larger reduction in South American soybean production than the trade expected....More
Apr. 10, 2012

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April 2012 WASDE Recap

Corn balance sheets are unchanged and global supplies are lower from last month's report. Average prices narrowed 10¢ on each end to $6-6.40/bu. Global soybean production is down, but average prices are up to 12-12.50/bu....More
Apr. 1, 2012

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Corn and Soybean Digest

An Extreme Market

As planting season gets underway, every year getting the crop in the ground and good growing weather is important. This year may be more important on both fronts than normal, however....More
Mar. 9, 2012

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Corn, Soybean March 2012 WASDE Recap

U.S. corn balance sheets for 2011-2012 are unchanged this month. Global coarse grain supplies for 2011-2012 are projected 1.6 million tons higher with production increases for Brazil corn and India corn and millet. Partly offsetting are reductions in sorghum output for India and Argentina and corn output for South Africa and Ecuador. Brazil corn production is raised 1 million tons on higher expected area for the second crop, which is planted following soybeans....More