Study Group: Ethanol Experts (Brazil)(?)

An over-emphasis on ethanol has combined with a poor production year and a major speculative push on commodity prices to push livestock net returns into the red.  Animal feed has long been US corn and soybeans primary source of demand, but high feed costs, with no way to push up the selling price...

Just like this time last year, traders in Chicago may believe that Brazilian farmers are poised to significantly expand soybean acreage, as they have moved prices above $15 per bushel.  However, just as they misjudged them last year, they may be doing it again, as fertilizer prices have doubled,...

Expiring contracts may add two million acres a year to planted area in the US, but don't look for many contracts to be "broken" unless they were recently signed, as the penalty's are too severe, even with high commodity prices. It seems likely that given the current situation with a poor crop in the...

It is a win-win marriage made in Brazil. The timing is perfect to take advantage of record stock prices and commodity prices, though wet corn milling might have some problems next year.

There are possibly 4-6 million acres lost this year due to flooding in the Midwest. This has been enough to force corn, soybean and some meat prices to record prices this month. If prices rise further due to a reduction in yields due to a hot dry spell during pollination, will the government be forced...