This is not to say just sell flat out with futures or cash contracts. But growers eyeing a two-part options strategy should be ready for action. Buying call options to cover sales made later during the growing season may protect some of the downside risk from falling prices while leaving upside potential if markets later rally.

In line with USDA’s Grain Stocks report, which showed a record number of bushels stored off-farm, CoBank customers also reported large increases in total bushels. The USDA data showed a larger share of soybeans and wheat were stored off farm relative to 2024, implying farmers made more room on-farm to store a record corn crop.

Jacob Christy, a grain market analyst with Anderson’s Grain, called the USDA’s grain report “shockingly bearish” with U.S. corn production at a “record shattering” 17 billion bushels. It was 469 million bushels above trade estimates. “That makes it good for the largest miss from trade estimates in either direction in the last 20 years.”

Record global wheat production drives prices to multiyear lows despite strong U.S. exports, creating headwinds for commodity investors.

Pro Farmer economist Lane Akre says at the current corn to soybean price ratio and with market conditions, soybeans need to buy some additional acres.

Crop insurance, along with Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), is one of several tools farmers use to manage risk. Each season brings its share of uncertainty, from weather and pests to market swings that can change prices overnight.

For anyone in Ohio watching South America at the end of January, the spreadsheets still look reassuring. USDA’s January WASDE and the latest official Brazilian and Argentine surveys describe a 2025-26 season with abundant soybeans and corn flowing out of the Southern Hemisphere.

Farm management analyst Kent Thiesse shares some tips on understanding the differences available in crop insurance options for producers.

Low global grain prices and cyclical oversupply are behind an expected drop in GrainCorp profits for FY26, it said in a statement out today...Read More

Planning for the future can be a very frustrating process, especially in times of market volatility. Planning typically pays high dividends. For most farm and ranch managers, developing realistic commodity price expectations is one of the most difficult and complex tasks of the planning process.