PDF Attached

 

Some
traders think the inflation story is starting to die down. 

 

 

Increasing
Covid-19 cases across Europe prompted additional restrictions and warnings this week.  This should be monitored over the weekend into the short trading week (Friday CBOT holiday) as it could influence outside commodity and equity markets if the situation worsens
next week. Most EU countries will change clocks this weekend.  Wednesday & Thursday will be heavy data driven days with USDA stocks and plantings Wednesday, EIA data that will add renewable fuel data (sometime Wed.), followed by NASS soybean crush on Thursday
and export sales.  USDA’s official crop progress report (initial) looks like it will be released April 5 @ 3:00 pm, not this Monday.  We will get selected state data this Monday. 

 

Bloomberg
USDA survey results, US stocks & plantings (March 1 corn stocks avg changed to 7.77b from 7.75b due to an analyst correction).

 

 

Reuters
trade estimates (with corrections through 3/26 late)

 

 

 

Weather

South
Dakota could see temps in the 80’s this weekend. Too much precipitation for the Delta that will slow fieldwork activity.  Midwest will not start planting for a week or two so there is no concern there except for the Ten River Basin where too much rain will
occur.  Severe weather for US yesterday and today will yield(ed) local heavy rain. 

 

 

7-day
precipitation

 

 

World
Weather Inc.

NOT
MUCH CHANGE OVERNIGHT

  • Argentina
    rainfall overnight was widespread from northern La Pampa and northern and eastern parts of Buenos Aires into Santiago del Estero, southern Chaco and southern Corrientes

o  
Amounts varied greatly with some locations receiving less than 0.25 inch while others reported 1.00 to 2.00 inches

      • One
        location along the east-central San Luis border with Cordoba reported more than 3.00 inches

o  
The past two days of rain was welcome for a large part of the nation and lingering rain into Saturday will be most likely in the far south and east

o  
Nearly a week of drying will follow and then scattered showers will resume again

o  
The bottom line remains favorable for the majority of Argentina’s grain, oilseed, cotton and other crops, although there will be a few pockets of drier biased conditions

  • Brazil’s
    biggest issue is weather in the middle and latter part of April

o  
Net drying is expected for the coming ten days in the heart of Safrinha corn country

      • The
        drier bias will be good initially so that harvesting of late soybeans can conclude along with the planting of Safrinha corn.
      • Concern
        is rising about late April precipitation and soil moisture, although crops will likely have sufficient subsoil moisture to get them through the month if only erratic rain falls
        • May
          would be the more challenging month for late season cotton and corn in Brazil if rainfall in the second half of April is lighter and more sporadic than usual.
  • U.S.
    weather will trend colder during the early to middle part of the week next week from the northern Plains into the Delta and southeastern states; including most of the Midwest

o  
Frost and freezes are expected, but most winter crops are not far enough advanced to be permanently harmed

o  
Crops are most advanced in the Delta and southeastern states, but temperatures should stay above the permanent damage threshold relative for their development

o  
A little rain will accompany the cold into the eastern United States, but after the precipitation falls and the cold air settles in there may be at least a week’s worth of net drying which should help promote planting progress
in many areas south of the Ohio River

  • South
    Texas may get some rain in the latter part of next week, but some of the moisture is a little overdone

o  
Nevertheless 0.50 to 1.50 inches of moisture could benefit many crops in the region – especially the dryland crop of corn, sorghum and cotton

  • West
    Texas will receive very little precipitation over the next ten days

o  
Showers and thunderstorms may evolve late in the first week of April and more likely in the second week, but confidence over the resulting rain being significant is very low

  • Unusually
    warm to hot temperatures, strong wind speeds and low humidity will impact the Great Plains briefly late this weekend into Monday just ahead of a colder airmass

o  
The colder air will drop high temperatures in the northern Plains from the 70s and lower 80s down to the 30s and 40s and a little rain and snow mix will occur as the colder air arrives

      • However,
        no drought busting precipitation is expected

o  
A second wave of unseasonably warm to hot weather is expected to evolve in the Great Plains and Canada’s Prairies late next week through April 5 before shifting to the east in the following week

o  
Each of these shots of hot and dry weather will raise concern over soil moisture and spring planting potentials in the driest areas in the northern Plains and Canada’s Prairies

  • U.S.
    hard red winter wheat areas will also dry down during the next ten days, despite a little precipitation infrequently

o  
Concern about returning dryness may become the market chatter in the  first week of April

  • Southwestern
    U.S. weather will remain dry biased and mild through the next ten days supporting some fieldwork
  • U.S.
    Pacific Northwest needs greater precipitation in the valleys especially the Yakima Valley into central Oregon where the ground is too dry for unirrigated winter crops
  • Mexico
    drought remains serious and unlikely to change prior to the arrival of seasonal rainfall this summer
  • U.S.
    northern Plains and Canada’s Prairies need significant rain and it will not likely come in great enough quantities anytime soon to make much difference

o  
Today’s GFS model run suggested greater precipitation Sunday into Tuesday across the Prairies

o  
Greater precipitation is expected in the second half of April

  • India
    weather will be almost ideal for crop maturation and harvesting in the next few weeks’ the nation may have lost a little production this year because of dryness during reproduction, but another big crop is expected
  • China
    weather remains almost ideal for early season fieldwork and winter crop development in the Yellow River Basin, North China Plain and northeastern provinces, although warming is needed
  • China’s
    Yangtze River Basin has been a little wet this month and drier and warmer weather is needed to induce better rapeseed and southern wheat conditions, but no significant loss in production potential has occurred
  • Yunnan,
    China is still too dry and needs significant rain for its rice, corn and sugarcane
  • Australia’s
    Queensland and New South Wales crop areas are moving into a drier biased weather pattern for the next ten days improving crop and field conditions after recent abundant rainfall
  • Severe
    flooding in coastal areas of New South Wales, Australia is abating and the cleanup efforts are under way
  • Indonesia
    and Malaysia weather has been and will continue to be good for all crops, although there is need for rain in northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia
  • Philippines
    weather has been and will continue to be good for most of its crops
  • Mainland
    Southeast Asia crop areas need a boost in precipitation to induce better early season planting conditions for corn and sugarcane development as well
  • Eastern
    Ukraine into Kazakhstan will receive rain additional over the next few days and the moisture boost will be very good for future crop development

o  
This precipitation began Wednesday and will linger into Saturday

  • Much
    of western and northern Russia is still snow bound and needs to experience additional melting and a bout of dry and warm weather to get the remaining snow to melt
  • Europe
    weather is rated mostly very good, although cool conditions have delayed the greening of some crops

o  
Warming is expected in this coming week

  • Soil
    moisture in Europe is rated favorably with some drying in Spain that will need to be eased in April to ensure the best dryland crop conditions

o  
additional drying is expected in much of the continent during the coming week to ten days – especially in the west

  • North
    Africa will be drying down in the coming week to ten days; recent rain has been good for early season wheat and barley development, although northwestern Algeria and southwestern Morocco are still too dry
  • West-central
    Africa coffee and cocoa weather has been very good recently and that is not likely to change much for a while; some rice and sugarcane has benefited from the pattern as well

o  
Rain fell from Benin to Ghana Wednesday and early today lifting soil moisture in many coffee and cocoa production areas

      • This
        event will move to the west into Ivory Coast today
  • East-central
    Africa rainfall has been erratic recently and a boost in precipitation should come to Ethiopia in April while Tanzania begins to dry down
  • South
    Africa weather will continue favorably mixed for early maturing summer crops and the development of late season crops
  • New
    Zealand weather is expected to turn a little wetter in the coming week, but rain amounts will still be lighter than usual except along the west coast of South Island across portions of North Island where rain will be greatest
  • Southern
    Oscillation Index this morning was -1.69 and the index is expected to rise additionally this weekend

Source:
World Weather inc.

 

Bloomberg
Ag Calendar

Sunday,
March 28

  • Daylight
    saving time begins in most of Europe, clocks move forward one hour

Monday,
March 29:

  • Ivory
    Coast cocoa arrivals
  • USDA
    Export Inspections – corn, soybeans, wheat, 11am
  • EU
    weekly grain, oilseed import and export data
  • U.S.
    winter wheat condition, 4pm (selected states)
  • HOLIDAY:
    India

Tuesday,
March 30:

  • EARNINGS:
    WH Group

Wednesday,
March 31:

  • EIA
    weekly U.S. ethanol inventories, production
  • USDA
    stocks and prospective planting – corn, wheat, soy, barley, sorghum
  • EIA
    monthly ethanol and biodiesel / renewable / biodiesel fuel reports
  • Malaysia’s
    March palm oil export data
  • Unica
    report on cane crush and sugar production in Brazil (tentative)
  • U.S.
    agricultural prices paid, received, 3pm

Thursday,
April 1:

  • USDA
    weekly crop net-export sales for corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, pork, beef, 8:30am
  • Port
    of Rouen data on French grain exports
  • Australia
    commodity index
  • U.S.
    corn for ethanol, soybean crush, DDGS production, 3pm
  • HOLIDAY:
    Mexico, Argentina and several other Latin American countries

Friday,
April 2:

  • CFTC
    commitments of traders weekly report on positions for various U.S. futures and options, 3:30pm
  • HOLIDAY:
    Good Friday holiday across most of Europe, Africa, Americas and parts of Asia

Source:
Bloomberg and FI

 

Friday
night data

 

Option
volume – Friday

 

 

CFTC
Commitment of Traders

Traders
missed estimating the corn traditional net fund futures only position by a very large 50,600 contracts (509,100 versus 488,100 estimated).  Funds were also more long than estimated for soybeans and wheat, and less short for SBO. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL     
Non-Comm               Indexes                  Comm

                       
Net        Chg        Net        Chg        Net        Chg

Corn              
355,482     11,815    418,008      3,825   -749,296     -7,241

Soybeans          
126,385      8,071    166,599     -1,686   -284,885     -3,210

Soyoil             
61,209    -11,784    122,068       -955   -205,249     14,496

CBOT
wheat         -20,773     -8,443    158,591      1,635   -126,703      7,621

KCBT
wheat           5,294     -7,960     66,551     -2,008    -70,341     12,425

=================================================================================

 

FUTURES
+ OPTS     Managed                 Swaps              Producer

                
       Net        Chg        Net        Chg        Net        Chg

Corn              
388,175     17,275    242,955    -18,692   -722,807       -172

Soybeans          
162,853      6,813     91,647     -1,090   -272,802     -2,997

Soymeal            
57,620     -3,618     71,553        114   -178,996      2,851

Soyoil             
93,977     -4,709     93,122       -695   -220,214     14,614

CBOT
wheat           8,160     -9,365     93,530     -3,494   -109,395      6,509

KCBT
wheat          26,242    -12,100     43,381        987    -63,270     11,817

MGEX
wheat          15,224       -659      4,937        311    -25,769      2,128

                
———- ———- ———- ———- ———- ———-

Total
wheat         49,626    -22,124    141,848     -2,196   -198,434     20,454

 

Live
cattle         79,555     -4,005     84,435        955   -167,942      5,157

Feeder
cattle          707     -1,720      7,455        197     -2,688        616

Lean
hogs           76,095        262     58,458         62   -141,607        298

 

                     
Other             NonReport                  Open

                       
Net        Chg        Net        Chg   Interest        Chg

Corn              
115,870      9,987    -24,194     -8,398  2,341,060    -48,603

Soybeans           
26,401        447     -8,098     -3,175  1,176,773     -2,738

Soymeal            
18,238       -959     31,587      1,612    472,467     -4,600

Soyoil             
11,143     -7,456     21,972     -1,756    615,294     10,316

CBOT
wheat          18,821      7,163    -11,116       -813    515,700      2,946

KCBT
wheat          -4,849      1,751     -1,504     -2,455    238,843      6,596

MGEX
wheat           1,342       -958      4,266       -823     89,489      2,428

                
———- ———- ———- ———- ———- ———-

Total
wheat         15,314      7,956     -8,354     -4,091    844,032     11,970

 

Live
cattle         17,400     -2,815    -13,448        706    388,868     -3,230

Feeder
cattle        4,863        345    -10,337        561     54,837        644

Lean
hogs           15,093       -341     -8,038       -282    341,311      6,875

=================================================================================

 

FUTURES
ONLY       Managed                 Swaps              Producer

                       
Net        Chg        Net        Chg        Net        Chg

Corn              
379,509     18,723    262,143    -20,686   -763,441     -1,947

Soybeans       
   151,572      6,370     90,775     -2,201   -306,769     -1,742

Soymeal            
56,799     -3,657     71,307       -157   -186,067      3,331

Soyoil             
92,176     -4,320     90,594       -948   -219,769     15,124

CBOT
wheat           2,718     -9,453     93,794     -3,878    -98,974      6,379

KCBT
wheat          26,071    -12,224     43,406      1,049    -67,032     10,243

MGEX
wheat          15,224       -659      4,937        320    -26,269      2,066

                
———- ———- ———- ———- ———- ———-

Total
wheat         44,013    -22,336    142,137     -2,509   -192,275     18,688

 

Live
cattle         75,177     -3,512     85,236      1,109   -154,752      5,383

Feeder
cattle          478     -1,429      7,444        225     -2,955        100

Lean
hogs           74,169        481     58,427        184   -130,875      1,110

 

                     
Other             NonReport                  Open

                       
Net        Chg        Net        Chg   Interest        Chg

Corn              
159,191     10,893    -37,402     -6,983  1,747,316    -43,465

Soybeans           
76,092       -237    -11,670     -2,190    853,452     -2,701

Soymeal            
30,642     -1,083     27,319      1,566    408,654     -5,838

Soyoil             
15,848     -7,808     21,151     -2,048    498,432      1,706

CBOT
wheat          12,538      7,653    -10,076       -701    420,748      1,627

KCBT
wheat          -1,259      3,312     -1,186     -2,380    220,866      4,827

MGEX
wheat           2,174       -865      3,934       -862     85,389      2,368

                
———- ———- ———- ———- ———- ———-

Total
wheat         13,453     10,100     -7,328     -3,943    727,003      8,822

 

Live
cattle          3,453     -3,143     -9,114        163    335,893     -3,645

Feeder
cattle        3,175        696     -8,142        408     48,069        264

Lean
hogs            6,622       -957     -8,343       -818    275,026      3,712

 

Macro

US
Consumption Adjusted Real (M/M) Feb: -1% (est -0.7%, prevr 3.4%) 

Personal
Consumption (M/M) Feb: -7.1% (est -7.3%, prevr 10.1%)

Core
PCE Price Index (M/M) Feb: 0.1% (est 0.1%, prevr 0.2%)

Core
PCE Price Index (Y/Y) Feb: 1.4% (est 1.5%, prev 1.5%)

PCE
Price Index (M/M) Feb: -1% (prev 0.3%)

PCE
Price Index (Y/Y) Feb: 1.6% (prevr 1.4%)

US
Adv Gods Trade Balance (Feb): -86.7Bln (prev -84.58Bln)

Wholesale
Inventories Adv (Feb): 0.5% (prevR 1.4%)

Retail
Inventories Ex-Auto Adv (Feb): 1.2% (prevR 0.2%)

 

University
Of Michigan Sentiment (MarF): 84.9 (est 83.6, prev 83)

Current
Conditions (MarF): 93 (est 93.1, prev 91.5)

Expectations
(MarF): 79.7 (est 78.8, prev 77.5)

1YR
Inflation (MarF): 3.1% (prev 3.1%)

5-10YR
Inflation (MarF): 2.8% (prev 2.7%)

 

Corn

  • Corn
    ended the week down 0.9%. Oats were 2.5% higher.
    Funds
    on Friday bought an estimated net 11,000 contracts. 
    May
    corn finished 6 cents higher at $5.5250/bu. 
    Higher
    WTI and a lower USD was limited early downside risk from a bearish USDA pig report.  March 31 is USDA report day so expect traders to increase positioning Monday and Tuesday. 
  • CBOT
    corn started mixed to lower from lack of bullish news but by late morning was up sharply led by the nearby on technical buying and firm basis values (Iowa).  The March 1 US corn stocks estimates published by Reuters and Bloomberg yesterday got traders thinking
    again about the US carryout for 2020-21.  A 185 million decrease in the average trade guess from March 1, 2020 corn stocks, with half of the crop year done, and large US exports expected for the second part of the crop year, may suggest USDA is underestimating
    the carryout for 2020-21 by 100 to 150 million bushels.  We look for large US corn export inspections on Monday as shipments to China and other countries increase, replacing waning soybean exports.  Average weekly corn inspections should be higher during the
    month of April based on the Great Lakes reopening shipping.  Looking at total US corn commitments versus shipments, US corn exports should be very strong through end of August. 

 

 

  • USDA
    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Mexico still plans to ban imports of genetically modified (GMO) corn, but only for food consumption, not corn for feed.  We are not sure the percentage of US white corn is GMO and need to explore this.  Mexico imports
    an extremely large amount of US yellow corn for feed.  Banning imports of both varieties would have not made any sense as Mexico depends on GMO corn imports to meet consumption requirement.  Mexico imported about 16.5 million tons of corn in 2020 with majority
    US origin (14.628MMT in 2019-20 crop-year). 

 

Export
developments.

  • South
    Korea’s KOCOPIA group passed on 55,000 tons of corn due to high prices.  Offers ranged from $306 & $313/ton C&F.  It was for arrival around July 20. 

 

Monthly
Biofuels Capacity and Feedstocks Update
(repeat
with link) The EIA (Energy Information Administration) will expand their biofuel data in its monthly report to by adding renewable fuels on March 31, including production capacities for biodiesel and feedstocks used in the production. It will be called Monthly
Biofuels Capacity and Feedstocks Update, replacing Monthly Biodiesel Production Report. USDA will adopt the data.  Press release:
https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press477.php

 

 

 

 

Updated
3/24/21

May
corn is seen in a $5.35 and $5.55 range.  

July
is seen in a $5.10 and $5.75 range.

December
corn is seen in a $3.85-$5.50 range.

 

Soybeans

  • Soybean
    futures fell 1.1% for the week, meal down 1.0% and SBO off 2.6%. 
  • CBOT
    soybean complex was mixed to start, and eventually nearby SBO touching limit lower for the second consecutive day (May settled 250 lower & July down 230 points). Note total soybean oil futures open interest fell only 806 contracts on Friday. May soybean meal
    was off $0.60 and July up $0.30.  May soybeans dropped 13.75 cents to $14.0050.  Friday morning Gulf soybean oil was around 550 over and another source put US fob Gulf at $1344/ton, up about 2.4% from week earlier. 
  • Funds
    on Friday sold an estimated net 16,000 soybean contracts bought 1,000 soybean meal and sold an estimated 14,000 soybean oil.  
  • Last
    time SBO closed the 250 point limit lower amount prior to this week was 3/15/2011, and last time closed limit down for two consecutive days was 3/28/2008 (down 250) & 3/31/2008 (down 350).  Volatility surged this week.  Since 1961, there have 11 trading days
    nearby SBO closed down 250 points. 
  • Some
    speculate the market was SBO overbought.  Others noted technical selling and easing concerns over inflation.  Regardless, SBO finally managed to divorce itself this week from fluctuations in WTI crude oil.  May SBO traded and ended below its 20-day MA, a bearish
    signal.  The 50-day is at 48.33 (closed at 52.48 Friday).  Longer term the renewable diesel story still stands, and the trade will get a glimpse of demand on Wednesday when EIA publishes initial capacity, production and use of the alternative green energy
    product.   Meal started lower on product spreading and a bearish USDA pigs report but turned around after SBO posted a lower trade.  Soybeans followed SBO lower, but not by enough to support crush values that were destroyed by afternoon trading from the weakness
    in SBO. CBOT May crush was down 14.75 cents to 66 cents, lowest since March 10th.  It traded as high as 87 cents earlier this week. 
  • Global
    cash and selected vegetable oil futures prices were lower from yesterday, but much of that movement was in response to lower SBO on Thursday.  China and Malaysian vegetable oil markets will be in focus Sunday night.  Rotterdam nearby soybean oil and rapeseed
    oil fell about 10 euros per ton from late Thursday.  Palm oil traded more than 4% lower and overnight reached a 3-month low on Friday. 
    China
    Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract fell 5.5% and China palm oil fell 6.2%. 
  • Trade
    estimates for US soybean plantings range from 86.1 to 91.6 million acres, wide in our opinion. 
    Reuters
    trade estimates for US soybean plantings average 89.996 million acres, in line with USDA’s February estimate of 90 million and compares to 83.084 million year ago.  Regardless of outcome, look for 2021-22 US soybean stocks to end up tight, like this year. 
  • During
    the trade we heard a US animal unit end user company bought a smaller size Brazil soybean cargo this week, a rare move.  It is not that uncommon for US companies to take a few corn cargoes from other countries time to time but for soybeans its uncommon and
    a reminder stocks are expected to get very tight this summer.
  • EU
    demand for Argentina SME increased this week.
  • Russia
    plans to impose an export tax on sunflower oil for one year from Sept. 1 set at 70% of the difference between its indicative price per ton and $1,000.  They will also impose an export tax on sunflower seeds between July 1, 2021 and Sept. 1, 2022 at 50% of
    its price, but not less than $320 per ton.  The duty for sunseeds is currently set in euro at a lower level, according to Reuters. 
  • A
    Bloomberg survey on 2020-21 India palm oil imports showed traders looking for a 11 percent increase to around 8 million tons from previous season, while total edible vegetable oil consumption may end up unchanged.  Higher soybean oil and sunflower oil prices
    are thought to deter imports of those commodities, making India more dependent on palm oil. 
  • China
    cash crush margins on our analysis were 168 (167 previous), vs. 175 cents late last week and compares to 184 cents year earlier. 

 

 

 

Export
Developments

  • None
    reported.   

 

Updated
3/25/21

May
soybeans are seen in a $13.75 and $14.75 range.

May
soymeal is seen in a $390 and $420 range.

May
soybean oil is seen in a 53 and 58 cent range

 

Wheat

 

Export
Developments.

  • Jordan
    will be back in for feed barley on March 30. Possible shipment combinations are Oct. 1-15, Oct. 16-31, Nov. 1-15 and Nov. 16-30, the same periods as sought in the previous two tenders.
  • Ethiopia
    seeks 400,000 tons of optional origin milling wheat, on April 20, valid for 30 days.  In January Ethiopia cancelled 600,000 tons of wheat from a November import tender because of contractual disagreements. 

 

Rice/Other

·        
Mauritius seeks 4,000 tons of optional origin long grain white rice on April 16 for delivery between June 1 and July 31.

·        
Syria seeks 25,000 tons of white rice on March 29, from China or Egypt.

·        
Syria seeks 39,400 tons of white rice on April 19.  Origin and type might be White Chinese rice or Egyptian short grain rice.

·        
Ethiopia seeks 170,000 tons of parboiled rice on April 20.

 

Updated
3/25/21

May
Chicago wheat is seen in a $6.00‐$6.60 range

May
KC wheat is seen in a $5.55‐$6.50 range

May
MN wheat is seen in a $6.05‐$6.40 range

 

Terry Reilly

Senior Commodity Analyst – Grain and Oilseeds

Futures International
One Lincoln Center
18 W 140 Butterfield Rd.

Oakbrook Terrace, Il. 60181

W: 312.604.1366

treilly@futures-int.com

ICE IM: 
treilly1

Skype: fi.treilly

 

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