10/02/2026

Iowa Drenched Again: When Will Harvest Finally Get Moving?

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🌧️ Weather: Heavy rain drenched Iowa and eastern Nebraska, with Omaha receiving nearly 5 inches and Lincoln more than 3 inches. β˜€οΈ Dry weather is expected through the weekend and into next week, but flooding and saturated soils will continue delaying harvest.

🌡 Drought Monitor: Rain improved drought conditions across parts of the Upper Midwest and High Plains, while dryness worsened in Kentucky, southern Missouri, and southern Illinois. Oklahoma remains the hardest-hit state in the Southern Plains.

πŸ“Š Drought Impact: U.S. drought coverage stands at

  • 🌽 Corn: 21%
  • 🫘 Soybeans: 27%
  • 🌾 Winter wheat: 57%
  • 🌾 Spring wheat: 48%
  • πŸ„ Cattle: 57%

πŸ“‰ Grain Markets: November soybeans fell 9Β’ to $12.84/bu., their lowest close since late August, pressured by fund liquidation, export concerns, and expectations for a record-large crop. December corn edged 2Β’ higher to around $5.02/bu., while wheat futures finished higher.

🚒 Export Sales: Soybean sales jumped 77% week over week to 1 MMT (38 million bushels), exceeding expectations, with China leading purchases. Corn sales fell 36% to 536,000 MT, while wheat sales rose 8% to 289,300 MT; both were near the lower end of expectations.

πŸ‡·πŸ‡Ί Russian Grain Exports: Black Sea shipping disruptions continue limiting Russian grain exports. Alternative ports shipped just 1.3 MMT of grain and oilseeds from July through September, compared with roughly 12 MMT through major Black Sea ports. Higher transportation costs and infrastructure constraints are complicating efforts to reroute shipments, potentially adding pressure to global food prices.

🏦 Federal Reserve: Fed officials signaled that additional interest rate hikes may be needed to bring inflation back to 2%, although expectations for an October increase have eased. Persistent price pressures remain a concern despite softer-than-expected underlying inflation data for August.