Grain basis was mixed again this week with corn basis gaining 1.5 cents a bushel, while soybean basis gave up 4 cents on average across the U.S.
In corn, basis levels were bolstered by strength at river terminals and the Gulf. Gulf corn bids were up 12 cents a bushel this week and surpassed their 5-year historical average for the first time since mid-June. At river terminals, basis levels were up 4 cents a bushel as gains were muted by a slight uptick in barge freight costs.
For soybeans, the premium of spot delivery over new-crop fall delivery continues to erode with harvest likely to start in the next month. Spot bean basis was off 4 cents for the week, but at the Gulf basis levels bucked that trend by posting a 9 cent advance. River terminals, however, failed to follow the Gulf market as losses upstream were about 7 cents a bushel. For soybean plants, double-digit losses were fairly typical this week, although as a group soy plants lost 5 cents a bushel.
