Your Pro Farmer newsletter ( August 8, 2026) is now available

Soybeans led grain and oilseed futures lower in a mostly weaker start to August, pressured by rains across much of the Midwest and forecasts for favorable weather. A sharp retreat by crude oil futures on hopes for a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz also weighed. Cuts to European grain production estimates as a result of this summer’s heat wave and escalated fighting between Russia and Ukraine that threatens Black Sea exports helped underpin grain futures, while China continues to book soybean purchases. Traders are positioning for the Aug. 12 USDA Crop Production and WASDE reports. Cattle futures ran into heavy profit-taking pressure late in the week, threatening their recent rebound. Lean-hog futures remained under pressure to begin the month amid continued weakness in the cash hog market. We cover all of this and more in this week’s newsletter.