Grains are Mixed to Close:
Mar Corn – 2 1/4 cents/bu (5.91)
Jan Soybeans + 7 cents/bu (12.92 1/4)
Mar Chi Wheat +2 3/4 cents/bu (7.77 3/4)
Currently:
Cdn $ -0.00380 (77.275 cents)
WTI Crude Oil -1.73/barrel (68.99)
A quiet afternoon in the grain trade. Grains finished mostly higher, with corn only dipping into the single-digit negatives. Not much new information to report above and beyond what was said at midday.
The export inspections report was released this morning for the week ending December 16th. Corn was on the higher end of estimates, and all commodities fell within the expectation ranges. Marketing year corn export shipments to date fall short of the seasonal pace needed to hit USDA's target by 186 million bushels, versus being short by 170 million the previous week. Marketing year soybean export shipments to date exceed the seasonal pace needed to hit USDA's target by 9 million bushels, versus 10 million the previous week. Marketing year wheat export shipments to date fall short of the seasonal pace needed to hit USDA's target by 25 million bushels, versus being short by 18 million the previous week.
| In Million Bushels | Current | Estimate | Last Week | 10-Week Average |
| Corn | 39.4 | 23.6-47.2 | 36.1 | 31.7 |
| Soybeans | 61.7 | 55.1-77.2 | 64.2 | 86.8 |
| Wheat | 7.8 | 7.3-14.7 | 9.9 | 9.8 |
Headlines are expected to increasingly focus on the weather conditions in South America, as weather patterns and the La Nina trends are predicting some dryness which could impact crop conditions and yields.
The stock markets have the potential to see some erratic fluctuations in prices over the next few weeks as the end of the year is quickly approaching, and Omicron continues to loom.
Funds are thought to have been mostly buyers today.