Grains were mixed overnight with soybeans higher and corn lower. Wheat was nearly unchanged. In outside markets, crude oil was higher but off of its highs at $48.40 while equities and the US dollar were mostly directionless.
On Monday, private analyst Informa pegged US corn acres at 93.4 million versus USDA’s forecast of 93.6, while soybean acres were pegged at 83.0 versus 82.2 by USDA. Analysts have been suggesting as much as 2 million more acres of soybeans, so Informa’s number of only 800,000 more acres would be substantially below that.
In other news on Monday, USDA’s crop progress report showed a strong pace for corn and soybean plantings. Corn plantings were 75% completed while soybeans were at 36% completed. The US winter wheat crop was rated at 62% good-to-excellent, on par with last week’s score.
Overnight, South Korea's largest feed-maker NOFI issued an international tender to purchase about 65,000 tonnes of corn, an unspecified volume of feed wheat and 7,000 tonnes of soymeal. UkrAgroConsult raised its forecast for Ukraine's 2016 wheat harvest to 21.5 million tonnes from 19.8 million. The consultancy's Yelizaveta Malyshko told Reuters that favourable weather this spring and "ideal" moisture content in soil were the main reason for the improved outlook.
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