USDA pegged Sept. 1 corn stocks at 1.361 billion bu., 68 million bu. lower than pre-report expectations and 16 million bu. lower than year-ago. Soybean stocks were above pre-report estimates by 26 mb.
USDA reported wheat sales in week ended Sept. 21 totaled 544,500 MT, which capped the top-end pre-report estimate by 45,000 MT. Meanwhile corn sales were mid-range; soybeans were nearer the low-end of expectations.
USDA reported inspections for corn, soybeans and wheat within trade expectations. Corn inspections remain steadily ahead of year-ago, while soybeans went from notably trailing year-ago to running ahead.
Weekly soybean sales for week ended Sept. 14, were reported at 434,100 MT, short , over 100,000 MT shy of the low-end pre-report estimate, while weekly corn and wheat sales landed just above the low-end estimate.
Weekly corn inspections totaled 642,095 MT, up 16,851 MT from the previous week and are running 10.5% ahead of year-ago, while soybean inspections totaled 393,004 MT and are trailing year-ago by 16.2%.
For week ended Sept. 7, USDA reported weekly soybean sales of 703,900 MT, 34.2% behind a year ago at this time. Weekly meal and oil sales notched net reductions during the week of 201,600 MT and 3,900 MT, respectively.
In its September WASDE, USDA increased planted corn acres, offsetting the reduction in yield to 173.8 bu. per acre, down from 175.1 in August. Soybean planted acres rose slightly, while the yield was trimmed to 50.1 bpa.
Weekly new-crop corn inspections have kicked the marketing year off ahead of last year at this time by over 4%, while soybean inspections lagged by over 21% in week ended Sept. 7.
USDA reported weekly new-crop corn sales of 949,700 MT in week ended Aug. 31, which was near the top-end pre-report range, while soybean sales totaled 1.78 MMT. A fresh marketing year began Sept. 1.
USDA's Weekly Export Inspections data was within pre-report estimates, though corn and wheat inspections fell notably on the week, while soybean inspections rose slightly.
The Current Conditions Index fell 10.7% in August, while the Future Expectations Index declined 4.0%. The overall ag barometer was 1.7% lower than August 2022.
Pro Farmer estimates the U.S. corn crop at 14.960 billion bu. with an average yield of 172.0 bu. per acre. We estimate the U.S. soybean crop at 4.110 billion bu. with an average yield of 49.7 bu. per acre.
USDA reported net soybean sales of 364,900 MT for 2022-23, which topped the pre-report range by over 160,000 MT, while new-crop sales were just shy of the top-end pre-report range.
Chip Flory gives you comparisons to last year and the three-year average for western Iowa - including some perspectives on the "challenges" facing the west-central Iowa corn and bean crops.
