Grain Markets Watch For USDA June 10 Reports.

Jun 10, 2016

The USDA’s June 10 reports will be closely watched by the grain trade. The big question remains - "Where are grain prices headed this summer?"

The market will be watching the supply and demand numbers for soybeans. Robust soybean demand and questions about South American production has driven futures prices higher the past few weeks to two year highs.

The soybean price rally has several factors moving it higher including the influx of managed money and the weather.

Losses from flooding in Argentina began to turn sales of soybeans and soybean meal back to the U.S., tightening projections for both old and new crop supplies. Business does appear to be picking up a little, and USDA could knock another 15 to 20 million bushels off its forecast for old crop carryout on June 10. But with harvest of some of the hardest-hit areas in Argentina only beginning, the government isn’t likely to change its projections much until more is known about the extent of damage.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.