Corn futures are 4 to 6 cents lower at midmorning.
· Corn futures are lower in tandem with wheat futures and pressure from outside markets.
· Analyst APK-Inform lowered its Ukraine 2024-25 grain export forecast by 1.9 MMT to 37.2 MMT, mostly due to a smaller-than-expected corn exports. The firm cut its corn export forecast by 2 MMT to 20 MMT after reducing corn production by 2.8 MMT.
· According to AgRural, Brazil’s first season corn crop was 42% planted as of last Thursday, just ahead of 41% last year at this time.
· December corn futures are finding support at the 40-day moving average of $4.09 3/4, while resistance stands at $4.17 3/4.
Soybeans are mostly 1 to 2 cents lower, while soymeal futures are around $3.00 higher. Soyoil is around 100 points lower.
· Soybeans have worked off their earlier lows due to strength in soymeal.
· China imported 11.37 MMT of soybeans in September, down 770,000 MT (6.3%) from the all-time record in August but up 4.22 MMT (59.0%) from year-ago. Through the first nine months of this year, China imported 81.85 MMT of soybeans, up 8.1% from the same period last year.
· Brazil’s soybean planting reached 8.2% of expected area as of last Thursday, according to AgRural, less than half of last year’s 17% pace for that date and the slowest since 2020-21. Most of the delay is in Mato Grosso, where producers are awaiting consistent rains before increasing planting.
· Brazil and Argentina are expecting rain in most production areas at one time or another during the next 10 days, improving soil moisture for summer crop planting, emergence and establishment, notes World Weather.
· November soybean futures extended below support at $10.00 overnight with additional support at $9.98 1/2, while the 40-day moving average of $10.13 1/2 is serving as resistance.
Wheat futures are mostly 9 to 11 cents lower.
· Wheat futures are facing followthrough selling, with U.S. dollar strength weight on the market.
· APK-Inform slightly raised Ukraine’s 2024 wheat harvest outlook to 21.5 MMT from 21.2 MMT and exports to 14.4 MMT from 13.8 MMT.
· Kazakh farmers have harvested 25.2 MMT of grain from 98% of the sown area, Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov said. The figures mean Kazakhstan is on track to post its biggest grain harvest since 2011 when production totaled 27 MMT.
· Russia’s Southern Region, eastern Ukraine and western Kazakhstan will have opportunities for rain this week and possibly again late next week, according to World Weather Inc. The moisture will be welcome, but not enough to restore long term soil moisture.
· December SRW futures are testing support at $5.90 1/2, which is backed by the 100-day moving average of $5.96 1/2.
Live cattle are modestly firmer while feeders are marking stronger gains.
· Nearby live cattle are firmer amid persisting cash cattle strength.
· Cash cattle prices firmed for a fifth consecutive week, though the official price won’t be known until later.
· Choice boxed beef prices firmed $1.27 to $311.22 on Friday, while Select slid $2.01 to $288.72, widening the Choice/Select spread to $22.50. Movement was light at 94 loads.
· December live cattle are hovering mostly above the 10-day moving average of $187.22, while resistance remains at $188.28.
Hog futures are posting moderate to strong losses at midsession.
· Hog futures are notably weaker amid cash and wholesale weakness.
· The CME lean hog index is down 18 cents to $84.29 as of Oct. 10, remaining within the short-term choppy range from the September low of $84.01 to this month’s high of $84.90.
· The pork cutout value slipped 40 cents to $94.47 on Friday amid declines in primal loins, butts and picnics. Movement totaled 276.9 loads.
· December lean hogs are trading below the 10-day moving average of $76.43, with the 20-day moving average of $75.29 serving as additional support. Meanwhile, initial resistance stands at $77.42.