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USDA's March 2013 estimates of corn stocks were substantially higher than trade estimates, initiating a substantial decline in both corn and soybean prices during the past week. In this article, the relative profit impacts for 2013 crops of these price changes are examined. During the first quarter of 2013, price changes have increased expected soybean returns relative to expected corn returns....More

Did you see what happened with new-crop December corn prices Wednesday? After a nearly 5¢ rise, they closed at $5.67. While that is a long way from the $8 corn from last August, it represents a 2¢ rise above the crop insurance guarantee of $5.65. And that is what you were waiting for to justify your investment in crop insurance. The same faith that you have in burying seed hoping it will grow, has again paid off with your crop insurance decision. So what do you do with that now?...More

"The magnitude of the required slowdown will in turn determine whether soybean prices need to adjust higher in order to slow the pace of consumption more than normal or whether supplies are large enough to allow prices to continue to move lower,” Good says....More

With early prices for 2013 crops at levels likely above projected breakevens, it may be time to get a few bushels booked, says Ed Usset, University of Minnesota grain marketing economist. Usset recently established his annual preharvest corn and soybean marketing plans. While he believes futures contracts normally provide more marketing alternatives to growers, he doesn’t discard cash contracts in his early marketing plans....More

Projected 2012-2013 U.S. corn ending stocks are unchanged this month as an increase in imports and lower exports support higher expected feed and residual disappearance. U.S. soybean supply and use projections for 2012-2013 are unchanged this month, leaving ending stocks at 125 million bushels. Prices are also down and narrowed for both crops for the 2013 season....More