Higher futures prices and aggressive farmer selling helped keep soybean basis unchanged for the week, while US average corn basis rose 2 cents a bushel.
For soybeans, river terminals were hard hit this week slipping 5-cents a bushel as weakness at the Gulf combined with an uptick in barge rates pushed basis levels lower. For soybean plants, basis levels were mixed as some plants in the Eastern Cornbelt raised basis levels while some in the West lowered their basis. On average, soybean plants as a group were off 2 cents a bushel for the week.
In corn, river terminals were also hard hit by weakness at the Gulf and higher barge freight with basis levels 4 cents lower for the week. Ethanol buyers continue to bid aggressively for corn as spot ethanol prices continue to defy the steep sell off in crude prices. Crush margins for ethanol producers continue to be favorable and this week’s production figure of 988,000 barrels per day was a marketing year high and putting year-to-date production 4.6% above last year’s tally. Basis levels for ethanol buyers were up 2 cents on average, although some plants were lower on the week thanks to increased farmer selling.
