Darrel Good Corn Quotations

The price strength has been a little surprising given the magnitude of the surplus in U.S. corn inventories. However, over the past 32 years, the central Illinois cash price has never established a marketing year high in February, suggesting that even higher prices might be expected sometime over the next six months.

Fundamentally, the increase in exports and export sales has been a supportive factor. Ideas that ethanol-driven demand for corn will continue to increase at a brisk pace and that U.S. corn acreage may decline modestly in 2006 also provide fundamental support. Dry weather has driven wheat prices higher and has raised concerns about the 2006 growing season for corn and other crops. Speculative demand for corn and other crops has also escalated, as evidenced by the daily tally of the net position of the fund traders.

Most analysts are on record with expectations of a decline in corn planting intentions and an increase in intentions for soybeans. The debate generally centers on the magnitude of the changes. Acreage of spring-planted crops, however, could deviate from intentions due to escalating spring wheat prices; potential for abandoned hard red winter wheat acreage to be replanted to other crops; changes, if any, in price relationships of spring-planted crops; and spring weather conditions.

Current world production and demand prospects, however, seem to be relatively more favorable for corn than for soybeans.

A stocks-to-use ration of 8.8 percent, then, means 2006-07 year-ending stocks of 1.047 billion bushels, implying a crop of 9.966 billion bushels. That is, the market appears to be trading a 2006 corn crop that is 1.146 billion bushels, or 10.3 percent, smaller than the 2005 crop. That calculation is obviously sensitive to the forecast of use. A smaller forecast of use implies a smaller crop and vice versa.

At this juncture, it appears that U.S. corn consumption and demand prospects are stronger than prospects for U.S. soybeans.

The magnitude of the increase will have implications for the total area available to plant the spring-seeded crops such as corn and soybeans. The debate about how rising production costs will affect corn and soybean acreage decisions will continue into the spring of the year.

The June Grain Stocks report will provide the next opportunity to calculate the rate of domestic corn use. Whether or not these projections are changed in the upcoming report, the market appears to anticipate an eventual increase. Stocks of corn at the end of the current marketing year may be 100 to 125 million bushels less than the current forecast of 2.3 billion bushels.

However, if bird flu results in a permanent reduction in world poultry production, an increase in red meat production might eventually be required, resulting in increased feed consumption in the long term. Domestic demand prospects also remain strong due to increasing livestock production and expanding ethanol production. These developments should support increased corn consumption well beyond the 2005-06 marketing year.