Corn basis was mostly unchanged for the week with US average basis levels stagnate. However, a late week increase in futures prices but cash corn basis levels on the defensive. For soybeans, basis levels posted a modest 1-cent a bushel advance as nearby futures prices gave up 18 cents on the week.
In corn, Thursday’s 6-cent advance was met with relatively sharp drops in basis by corn merchants. Even Friday morning there was clear follow through with major plants in MN & NE posting lower basis compared to Thursday’s quotes. On average, ethanol buyers were off 1 cent a bushel but in the Western Cornbelt basis levels showed more weakness with some plants giving up 5 cents or more on the week. For export sensitive areas, basis levels were weaker thanks to a 2 cent drop at the Gulf. Upstream river terminals came under more pressure giving up 3 cents a bushel on average for the week.
For soybeans, USDA’s supply and demand report early in the week pointed to ample supplies of stocks in the coming growing season, and with near-term export business winding down, there seems like little incentive for end-users to aggressively bid higher for beans. At the Gulf, basis levels were up 3 cents a bushel, but river terminals on average only showed a 1-cent gain. For soy plants, there was only modest changes for the week with a 1-cent improvement on average. However, mid-week one Indiana plant was aggressively bidding up beans, but it was short-lived as pipeline supplies quickly filled the needs.
