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Spring Wheat and soybean conditions decline as wheat harvest advances…
Corn conditions unchanged... again… USDA rated the corn crop as 74% “good” to “excellent” as of Sunday, unchanged from the previous week. The “poor” to “very poor” rating firmed 1 point on the week to 6%. USDA reported the crop was 56% silking (56% average) and 14% in dough (12%).
Soybean conditions fall back... USDA rated the soybean crop as 68% “good” to “excellent,” down 2 percentage points from last week. The “poor” to “very poor” rating gained 2 points to 7%. USDA reported the soybean crop was 62% blooming (63% average) and 26% setting pods (26%).
Spring wheat conditions decline... USDA rated the spring wheat crop as 52% “good” to “excellent,” down 2 points from last week. The “poor” to “very poor” rating gained 3 points to 16%. USDA reported the spring wheat crop was 100% headed, 13 points ahead of average.
Winter wheat harvest just ahead of average... Winter wheat harvest advanced another 10 points to 73% done, one point ahead of the five-year average. Harvest stood at 97% in Texas (100% average), 98% in Oklahoma (100%) and 97% in Kansas (94%).
Cotton conditions improve... USDA rated the cotton crop as 57% “good” to “excellent,” up three points from last week. The “poor” to “very poor” rating fell 4 points to 13%.USDA reported the crop was 71% squaring (75% average) and 33% setting bolls (33%).
The Trump Administration recently proposed record-setting renewable fuel volumes for 2026 and 2027. The proposal would set the highest overall numbers ever, including a 67 percent increase for biomass-based diesel compared to 2024.
Numerous ag industry organizations lauded the administration on its commitment to increasing renewable fuel production. Aaron Wetzel, Vice President for Production Systems with John Deere, highlighted the importance of this announcement for farmers but noted there is still work to be done to ensure the proposal is finalized. “The Administration’s recent proposal sets strong numbers for both conventional ethanol, largely produced from corn, and biomass-based diesel, such as biodiesel, made from oilseeds like soybeans,” said Wetzel.
EPA seeks input during its 45-day public comment period, which closes on August 8, 2025.
USDA Releases July 2025 Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook. The following is excerpted from USDA’s report from ers.usda.gov:
Beef/Cattle: The 2025 beef production forecast is lowered on a slower expected pace of cattle slaughter in the second half of the year. Beef production in 2026 is adjusted upward on greater anticipated marketings next year. 2025 slaughter steer prices are adjusted higher based on actual price data through June, and the 2026 forecast is unchanged from last month. Beef imports surged 60 percent year over year in May to 550 million pounds, raising the import forecasts for both 2025 and 2026. Exports were revised upward in 2025 on the recent pace of exports, and upward in 2026 on higher production output projected.
Pork/Hogs: USDA’s June Quarterly Hogs and Pigs reported that June 1 breeding animal inventory was fractionally lower than a year ago, while the March-May pig crop was 1 percent greater than in March-May 2024. Record-high litter rates for the quarter and expected higher average dressed weights continue to offset lower sow numbers on the pork production side. Total commercial pork production in 2025 is forecast at 28 billion pounds, 0.9 percent higher than in 2024. In 2026, pork production is forecast at 28.5 billion pounds, 1.6 percent greater than production forecast for this year. Hog prices in 2025 are expected to average almost $69 per hundredweight (cwt), up 8.1 percent from a year ago, while 2026 prices are forecast lower, averaging almost $65 per cwt, down 5.6 percent from this year.
Export Inspections for the week ended July 17, 2025:
- USDA reported export inspections of 983,625 MT (38.7 million bu.) for the week ended July 17, which were down 330,677 MT from the previous week and short of the pre-report range of 1.1 MMT to 1.575 MMT.
- USDA reported export inspections of 364,990 (13.4 million bu.) during the week ended July 17, up 213,644 MT from the previous week and near the upper-end of the pre-report range of 200,000 to 400,000 MT.
- USDA reported export inspections of 732,290 MT (26.9 million bu.) for the week ended July 17, up 287,659 MT from the previous week, which topped pre-report expectations ranging from 300,000 to 500,000 MT.