Your Pro Farmer newsletter (July 4, 2026) is now available

Short covering by funds lifted grain markets in a holiday-shortened week that started on a down note, with corn setting another contract low ahead of Tuesday’s USDA acreage and grain stocks data. The reports offered no bearish surprises, allowing grain futures to rebound. The period around July 4 has often seen the current market trend either accelerate or reverse. High temperatures over the central Midwest are expected to ease, while a brutal heatwave raises concerns over crops in Western Europe. Cattle futures saw long liquidation alongside a drop in boxed beef prices and a tighter squeeze on packer margins. Lean-hog futures saw short covering amid directionless cash trade. We wish Pro Farmer members a glorious and festive Fourth of July as America celebrates its 250th birthday! We cover all this and more in this week’s newsletter.