MAC Newsletter INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Market Recap 1 MAC Facility Pricing 1-2 Ag Megatrends Part I 3 Effects of Corn Drydown 4 Facility News 5 Calendar of Important 6 Dates Weather Forecast 6 Market Recap 7 NOVEMBER 2014 The commodity markets slid lower this week as the US corn and soybean harvest continues at a moderate pace. The soybean market continues to hold a flame under prices keeping them from slipping lower, too fast. Unprecedented demand for US soy products has been a result of the inability of hog producers to source synthetic amino acid methionine which requires 8% to 35% more soymeal in the diet to offset. Export sales for the week continue to be behind the necessary pace for wheat and corn to meet the USDA projections. For the week, December corn closed down 9 cents at $3.67, January soybeans ended down 13 cents at $10.37, and December wheat finished 28 cents in the red at $5.14. As mentioned, soymeal demand has been critical to the $1.20 soybean recovery since the first of October. However, South American soymeal values are proving their competitiveness now offered $55 a ton lower than US, which should keep a top on soymeal prices for the near term. While there is not confirmation of any soymeal bought to come into the US, the threat of its competitiveness should be a signal to the market. Soybean price direction will soon be a factor of the USDA supply and demand estimate numbers to be released Monday morning at noon. Historically, while its too soon to provide a most accurate estimate of the US corn production, soybeans are within .3 of the final yield for the year. The US will be able to gauge supply moving forward once the report is released. Weekly exports for corn showed a total of 18.8 mb, which was below the 23 mb needed to stay on pace with the USDA’s projected demand. Wheat exports sales were 9.8 mb, about 2 mb below the pace needed to meet the USDA’s crop year total of 925 mb. Soybeans are a bright spot and finding support this morning after the report with significant sales of 59.3 mb versus the 10.2mb needed this week to stay on pace with USDA demand projections. Daily Corn Closes Michigan harvest continues to be hindered by weather patterns, the state’s soybean average is approaching 85% complete with corn barely rolling. If the state is 33% harvested in Monday’s report that will be surprising. We remind everyone to stay safe. Rachel Haskin [email protected] 517-627-0200 PAGE Daily Soybean Closes 2 Daily Wheat Closes Current Facility Prices Corn Current Soybeans O/N '15 Current Red Wheat White Wheat O/N '15 Current Current Cash Basis Cash Basis Cash Basis Cash Basis Cash Basis Cash Basis Breckenridge 3.13 -.55 3.48 -.65 9.72 -.65 9.44 -.75 4.75 -.40 5.45 .30 Blissfield 3.33 -.35 3.63 -50 10.10 -.27 9.74 -.45 5.05 -.10 N/A N/A Brown City 3.13 -.55 3.48 -.65 9.72 -.65 9.44 -.75 4.80 -.35 N/A N/A Jasper 3.28 -.40 3.58 -.55 10.10 -.37 9.64 -.55 5.05 -.10 N/A N/A Marlette 3.13 -.55 3.48 -.65 9.72 -.65 9.44 -.75 4.80 -.35 5.15 0 Middleton 3.13 -.55 3.48 -.65 9.72 -.65 9.44 -.75 4.75 -.40 5.45 .30 Newaygo 3.13 -.55 3.48 -.65 9.77 -.60 9.49 -.70 4.80 -.35 5.50 .35 Megatrends in Agriculture 1: Shifting Farm Structure This is the first of a ten article series that will appear in our weekly newsletter. This series of articles will go over hot topics in agriculture and the new megatrends that we are all seeing across the industry. The first megatrend of our series involves the shifting farm structure in the U.S. The average age of a U.S. farmer is 58.3 years old compare that to almost 30 years ago when it was 50.5 years old.; an increase of 7.8 years. What’s causing the rise in age? It comes down to costs, profitability, and competition. For starters, land and equipment costs are two barriers that new farmers are struggling to overcome. A small 50 acre farm will probably cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000, based on land values at $5,000 per acre. Another problem is the cost of equipment. No, a new farmer does not need to roll into a dealers lot in a half a million dollar combine, but is a $40,000$50,000 combine out of hand? Keep in mind all the other pieces of machinery needed to harvest and plant. There is potential a beginning farmer invests up to $250,000 in used equipment— assuming the farmer is looking to grow in the coming years. Young farmers have been attempting to get into production, but each year fewer survive, mainly for the previously stated issues. Young farmer numbers have been dropping quite quickly over the past few years, as seen in the graph above It’s an increasing problem— not enough youth in agriculture. The USDA has taken notice of recent census data and employees are looking into the issue extensively. The graph to the left shows the amount of farmers that have been on a farm for a certain time frame, comparing the 2007 census to the 2012 census. With less farmers entering the industry, older farmers, with more knowledge and management skills, are now increasing their acreage. This ultimately makes an already competitive market even tougher on a new producer. Traditionally young farmers get started because it is the family business, which is never a bad thing. In fact, passing down a family business, like farming, creates more value in tradition, pride, and a love for the land. Unfortunately, this common tradition makes less land available for newcomers that don’t have a relation in farming. However, through organizations such as FFA and 4-H, children from non-farming families can get a grasp of what agriculture is and work in non-farm aspects of agriculture if desired. MAC NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 Contact: Dave Geers [email protected] Corn drydown: What to expect? The following information is provided by a recent study from Ohio State University Extension. “Corn growers may encounter slower than normal dry down this fall due to relatively cool weather conditions and late crop development. Corn will normally dry approximately 3/4 to 1% per day during favorable drying weather (sunny and breezy) during the early warmer part of the harvest season from mid-September through late September. By early mid-October, dry-down rates will usually drop 1/2 to 3/4% per day. By late October to early November, field dry-down rates will usually drop to 1/4 to 1/2% per day and by mid November, probably 0 to 1/4% per day. By late November , dry rates will be negligible. Agronomists generally recommend that harvesting corn for dry grain storage should begin at about 24 to 25% grain moisture. Allowing corn to field dry below 20% risks yield losses from stalk lodging, ear drop, ear rots, insect feeding damage and wildlife damage. The following lists the key findings of the study: - Results showed that nearly 90% of the yield loss associated with delayed corn harvest occurred when delays extended beyond mid-November. - Grain moisture decreased nearly 6% between harvest dates in Oct. and Nov. delaying harvest after early to mind Nov. achieved almost no additional grain drying. - The greatest increase in stalk rot incidence came between harvest dates in October and November. In contrast, stalk lodging increased most after early-mid November. Agronomists at the University of Wisconsin have developed a “Field Loss Calculator” Excel spreadsheet available: (http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/ Season/DSS.aspx) that allows producers to calculate the costs of harvesting today versus allowing the crop to stand in the field and harvesting later. The spreadsheet accounts for higher drying costs versus grain losses during field drying. It allows the user to account for elevator discounts and grain shrink.” PAGE 4 PAGE Blissfield/Jasper 5 Facility News 800-344-7246 Harvest is rolling along about every other day. The weather has been less than cooperative this fall! It seems like we just start to get busy and then we get hit with rainy gloomy weather again. Some local producers finished up soybean harvest this week, while others are still trying to cut when the weather permits. We are definitely seeing the shift to more inbound corn trucks though. We’ll be running harvest hours this weekend at Blissfield, please call 517-436-3126 for Jasper hours. Have a great weekend! Breckenridge 800-472-4629 With dry bean harvest all but done, folks have turned their attention to soybean and corn harvests. We have got in a good quantity of soybeans and were advancing nicely until the weather threw us another curve ball that has delayed progress. Many growers are finishing up their sugar beets and heading into corn, so we should see increased corn deliveries in the coming days if the weather permits. Remember that the USDA’s November Crop Report is due out on November 10th . Until next week, enjoy all Michigan has to offer & stay safe this harvest season! Cadillac 517-282-6720 Snipping and clipping between rain, wind and snow was this weeks harvest. Corn remains stubbornly wet, but needs to be harvested before heavy snow precludes combining. For those whom deer hunt in the North. We will most likely have "tracking" snow. So here's a recipe for Venison Track Stew. Gather as many tracks as you can. Add to "what's you got" in a large pot. Add a bucket of swamp water and boil for 10 minutes. Then add whiskey to taste. Serve with stale bread and cold beer. Not great but filling. On a more serious note If you love your freedom THANK a veteran. Because freedom has been paid forward for you. Cerebrate next Tuesday. Marlette/Brown City 800-647-4628 We are thankful here in the Thumb for beautiful weather so farmers can get another chunk of crops off before the (dreaded) snow comes. We are busy with soybeans and hoping to be able to ship wet corn next week. Call for harvest hours and let us know if we can help you out with any marketing needs. Have a great weekend! Go Green! Middleton 800-344-7263 Middleton area it still getting wet weather. The soybean harvest is on the downward swing, and corn harvest is showing up with some moisture levels around 25. The crews are unloading incoming grain, loading out fertilizer, feed, warm weather gear, and seed wheat (most of the wheat is planted), soil testing and spraying fall burn down. Our twin scale system is working very good this week with an average in/out time of just over 11 minutes, we are extremely pleased with the upgrade. Here is hoping everyone has a safe and happy first weekend without all those political ads. Newaygo 800-878-5800 Another hit and miss week of receipts this week. Soybean growers are taking them off any chance the weather gives them. We are roughly 70% done with them from our draw area. Corn is just getting going. A few of the local guys have started with moisture coming in between 20 and 25. A few of our northern guys are picking quite a few acres and they are 2-5 points wetter on their corn. We are receiving until 7 pm on Friday, call for Saturday and Sunday hours. Have a great weekend and stay safe through harvest. PAGE 6 November 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 Crop Progress 9 10 11 12 19 Crop Progress 23 30 13 14 15 20 21 22 28 29 Weekly Export 25 24 8 Weekly Export 18 17 7 Weekly Export Crop Progress 16 6 26 Crop Progress 27 Happy Thanksgiving Mark Sterling MAC Weather Report Medicine Safety Every year thousands of children are hospitalized after taking medicine not meant for them. Teens share stolen prescription drugs at "pharm parties" and toddlers are tempted by colorful pills that look like candy. In the U.S. about 165 kids are taken to the ER every day after getting into medications. Every year about 56 children die. How can we reduce the threat? Consider this: among young children, 95% of unintentional medication overdose visits to emergency rooms are cause by a child ingesting medication while unsupervised and about 5% are cause by dosing errors made by caregivers. So ultimately, safe storage and safe dosing means safe kids. Here are some tips. Store medications in a safe location out of sight and reach of young children. Never refer to medication as candy. Close child resistant caps and on medication bottles every time. If you have guests over ask that if they have medications that they put them up and out of sight when they are in your home. Thanks and Be Safe! Josh Spegel Today will be a big corn harvest day with dry conditions but lots of clouds, however more showers will move into the area late tonight into Saturday and could be mixed with some snow at times. A break in the precipitation is likely for Saturday night into early Sunday before another low and cold front move in and bring a chance for more rain and snow showers for Sunday afternoon and evening. As that front sinks into the northern Ohio Valley a low will have already formed in the Rockies and will slide along that front heading for the upper Ohio Valley. On its heals will be a powerful Arctic cold front and it's that push of cold air that should keep the low moving in a patch that would spread moderate to heavy snow to the north of the track and effect at least parts of not much of the MAC and LAC areas. This type of low "Rockies Low" often is more predictable and often carries a 3-6 / 4-8 inch snow but can wildly vary depending on moisture feed and dynamics. Both the latest GFS and WCMWF are in pretty good agreement and have been for the last 3 runs. Now this far out the track and strength is still very much in question as to where the heaviest snow will fall but anyone in the great lakes will want to monitor later updates as this does have the potential to be a significant winter storm. Snow or no snow a frigid air mass for this time of the year will set in and even after the heart of the cold air passes we see more winter fun and games coming down the road. © 2008 The information reflected herein is derived from sources to be reliable; however, this information is not guaranteed as to its accuracy or completeness. This material & any views expressed herein are for informational purposes only & should not be construed in any way as an inducement to buy or sell commodity futures or options contracts. Trading futures involves risk of loss.
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