Weekly Crop Commentary - 06/20/2025

Haylee VanScoy
Director of Grain Purchasing

Stay hydrated out there—this weekend into next week is shaping up to be the hottest stretch we’ve seen all year, with temps climbing into the 90s every day. For those of us making hay (myself included), it’s finally a good window to mow some more today, so take advantage while you can!

I had the chance to catch the LSU vs. Arkansas game in Omaha this week—what a showdown at the College World Series! Usually, I don’t follow the games much, but I plan to watch the championship this weekend between LSU and Coastal Carolina. Speaking of heat, markets saw some sizzle too, especially earlier in the week. Now that we’ve seen emergence from replants, farmers have been more active sellers, and we’ve seen a bit of that risk come off the table for new crop. Unfortunately, the 4-month high rally in beans didn’t stick, and we’ve seen some profit-taking to close out the week. Soybeans have found support around the $10.60 SX25 mark, while new crop corn tested resistance at the 50-day moving average of $4.47 before slipping back below the 20-day MA at $4.42.

Wheat fields are starting to turn, though we’re still a couple of weeks away from harvest kicking off for many. The wheat market on Wednesday appeared to be driven mostly by fund short covering and geopolitical headlines shaking up some managed money positions. The WN25 contract broke through the 100-day moving average but ran into resistance at the 200-day, which seems to be holding again today. Most of our locations are still above $5, so if you’ve got wheat to market yet, this might be a good time to take a look.

Looking ahead, we’ve got the June 30th quarterly stocks and planting revision reports just around the corner, followed quickly by the July 4th holiday. Make sure you’ve got offers in if you’re not quite where you want to be in your marketing. Don’t forget—you can enter offers directly in our Heritage Portal (it’s free!), or feel free to call, text, or stop in. We’re always happy to talk through strategies for your farm. Have a great weekend, and stay cool out there!

Briana Holtzman
Grain Merchandiser, Kenton (Region 1)

Last Friday, the EPA announced its anticipated biofuel mandate over the next three years. They quoted 3.35 billion gallons for 2025, 5.61 billion gallons for 2026 (above expectations), and 5.86 billion gallons for 2027 (also above expectations). We saw a significant rally in the soy oil and soybean markets on Friday, and beans did a good job of sustaining that rally this week.

On Monday, we saw mixed results from the crop progress report. National corn ratings rose 1 point to 72% good/excellent, but beans and wheat dropped 2 points to 66% and 52% good/excellent, respectively.

On Wednesday, we saw a boost in the wheat rally, most likely due to reports that Russia’s largest grain-producing region, Rostov, has declared a state of crop emergency due to heat and drought.

The weather is looking to be hot, dry, and sunny for the next four days or so, which should move wheat along as we near harvest. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Zane Robison
Grain Merchandiser, Urbana (Region 3)

Good afternoon. All markets had a strong week, with double-digit gains in wheat and soybean futures, alongside three consecutive green sessions for corn.

Corn markets were mostly a follower to wheat this week. There isn't much big news; we just seem to be waiting for something to happen with the weather. Reports indicate that Iowa is experiencing rain again today, which will likely keep markets in check for now.

Soybeans broke 10.70 for the first time since early February and have posted four consecutive green sessions. After posting two consecutive limit sessions, oil has calmed down, and it will likely take more policy news to push much higher. The acreage report, set to be released on June 30th, will provide a clearer picture of how many acres in Ohio were converted to beans following the wet spring. China remains absent from the export report.

How about wheat this week? No real news points to speculative and technical buying. Concerns about quality contributed to the lift, as excessive rainfall could potentially knock the new crop down from milling wheat to feed wheat. Have a great weekend!

Morgan Hefner
Grain Merchandiser, Nashport (Region 5)

Late last week, the EPA announced that the RVO for biomass diesel is at 5.6 million gallons, up from 3.35 million gallons previously. This news caused soybeans to rally last Friday, seeing over 25-cent gains. Following Friday’s excitement, beans continued to be in the green early this week.

On another positive note, wheat showed notable improvements on Wednesday this week. However, there was not much movement on the board in terms of corn. After the markets were closed yesterday for the holiday, they are down very slightly this afternoon. It appears that we’ve some hot, dry weather ahead of us. Stay cool this weekend, it’s going to be a hot one!