Weekly Crop Commentary - 09/12/2025

Wes Bahan
Vice President, Grain Division

Good afternoon. Hope you all are ready for another run of temperatures in the 90s, it sounds like it is coming our way.

We got our monthly update from the USDA, and what a dandy it was. The corn planted acreage was increased to 98.7 million acres, an increase of 1.4 million acres from the August report, making this the highest planted corn acreage since 1936. We did see an adjustment to yield, reducing it from 188.8 bu to 186.7 bu, keeping a lid on the increased production to just a 72-million-bushel increase. We also saw adjustments to the demand side, adding 100 million bushels of export demand from last month. So, when the dust settled, there really wasn’t any change to the ending stocks numbers.

Onto the soybean side of the equation, we also saw an increase of 200,000 acres in soy plantings from last month's report. A minor adjustment was made to the production estimate. With all we are watching, the corn market is up 7¢, and the bean market is up 14¢. A slight decrease in potential export demand added 10 million bushels to the ending stocks. We are all watching the corn market be up 7¢ and the bean market up 14¢. Can we see additional cuts in production in future months?

We have seen some harvest activity in my neighborhood, making it earlier than last year's start, but I'm not sure that denotes a big increase in production. Hope you all get the chance to attend the Farm Science Review next week.

Haylee VanScoy
Director of Grain Purchasing

Happy Harvest! Even though next week’s 90-degree temps don’t exactly feel like fall, the combines are starting to roll. We’ve seen some early beans and a load or two of corn trickling in this week, areas with yields looking about average so far. The lack of rain in early August definitely left some areas struggling. My local area only had 0.3” for the whole month, so we’ll see how the later-planted crops finish out. As we gear up for full swing, be sure you have your splits set up and ACH forms in place for smooth payments later this fall. Also, don’t forget—any DP bushels not priced before the end of the month will have accrued storage billed out, so now is a good time to review your account with your local merchandiser if you haven’t already.

On the market side, USDA’s September WASDE left carryout mostly unchanged, with higher harvested acres and slightly lower yields for both corn and beans resulting in a net production increase. Planted corn acres moved higher from 97.3 to 98.7 million, offsetting the yield trim from 188.8 to 186.7, while soybeans also saw a minor acreage bump paired with a yield cut from 53.6 to 53.5. South American production held steady. Closer to home, Ohio yield estimates were lowered—corn from 196 to 194 bpa and beans from 57 to 56 bpa. Futures action reflects mixed signals: SX25 beans found support above the 20-day moving average to close the week, while CZ25 remains range-bound between the 50- and 100-day marks as harvest pressure looms. Wishing everyone a safe and successful harvest season—thank you in advance for your patience and kindness as our team works long hours to keep things moving.

Briana Holtzman
Grain Merchandiser, Kenton (Region 1)

This week was cool and dry, moving crop maturation progress along, but also raising some issues with crop health. Some areas in the country saw below freezing temperatures this week, and as a result, saw some of the tops of corn and beans burned. We are unsure how this will affect the yield, but it may result in lighter test weights and slightly lower yields. The dry weather across the country has also placed about 22% of the country’s soybeans in some level of drought.

The markets were pretty uneventful this week, leading up to the September WASDE report, which came out today. As predicted, we saw a yield cut on corn and beans. While yield was cut, the markets did not react as positively as I would have anticipated due to acres also being reported slightly higher. Corn yields reported at 186.9 bpa, down 1.9 from the August report. Soybean yields reported at 53.2 bpa, down 0.4 from the August report.

As we near and enter the harvest season, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy. Have a great weekend!

Zach Dennis
Grain Merchandiser, Upper Sandusky (Region 2)

Good Friday afternoon. Harvest is almost here! Some crops are starting to roll in. Grain prices are still under downward pressure, with supply still looking strong. The Midwest had a lot of rainfall this year, but they are beginning to find a serious amount of fungal diseases, such as southern rust and tar spot. This could impact yield on the corn side. Here, the lack of rain has some on edge about whether the bean crop is going to be there. I am hearing that pods are small or have nothing in them.

The WASDE report came out today. An adjustment was made on the corn side from the August report. It went from 188 bu/ ac to 186 bu/ac. Not much changed for the soybean market. It is only slightly down from 53.6 bu/ac to 53.5. If we look at the demand side for beans, according to the WASDE report, bean crush is forecasted to increase by 15 mil bu. The export side is still weak due to the lack of China buying beans. That’s all I have for today.

Hope you have a good weekend and go Bucks!

Zane Robison
Grain Merchandiser, Urbana (Region 3)

I’m writing this ahead of the report, so some details may look a little different by the time you’re reading.

Corn has traded in a tight range for the last 10 days. Droughts across several key states have kept prices from sliding further as crop condition ratings continue to decline. On the other hand, limited export demand and the weight of a large carryout have kept December futures from challenging the $4.30 resistance level. Locally, early planted corn looks solid, but June acres will show the biggest impact from one of the driest Augusts on record.

Soybeans showed some late-week strength, with November contracts gaining more than 10¢ between yesterday and today. The big question is whether today’s WASDE will bring enough bullish news to push us back to the highs seen after August’s report.

In other news, China imported Brazilian sorghum for the first time. The U.S. has traditionally supplied the bulk of China’s sorghum needs, but this move highlights its continued effort to diversify away from U.S. commodities.

Have a great weekend!

Lisa Warne
Grain Merchandiser, Marysville (Region 4)

Farm Science Review is days away, and harvest is upon us. We’ve received new beans here at Marysville from a few customers. They are mature (very few green) and plenty dry (7.9 to 13.0%). We’ve also had one customer deliver a couple loads of new corn straight from the field. It’s an early variety, combined with a lack of late summer rain, the moisture is running 15.3 to 17.0%. With varying maturities and a wide range of planting dates, this is shaping up to be a drawn-out, 12-week harvest ahead.

The market has been fairly flat for most of the week, but showed some strength ahead of the USDA’s WASDE report. For the report, traders anticipated a decrease in yield, which we did see (corn 186.7 and beans 53.5), but we also saw an increase in expected harvested acres. This resulted in an unexpectedly high production figure. The new crop carryout was mostly unchanged though, due to increased demand expectations. Initially, the market fell. The new crop carryout was mostly unchanged, though, due to some increase in demand expectations. But after the market digested the numbers for half an hour, beans are climbing back to their pre-report trading range. However, the new crop carryout was mostly unchanged due to increased demand expectations. Corn is struggling to stay in the green.

As you head to the field and have equipment on the roads, please be safe. I wish you all a successful harvest. If you’re at FSR on Tuesday morning, I’ll be at the Heritage barn at the corner of Farm Ave and Wheat St. Stop by, and say hello!

Morgan Hefner
Grain Merchandiser, Nashport (Region 5)

Harvest has kicked off for a few farmers across the state and is right around the corner for many more. This week's markets have been pretty quiet, with nothing to push them to move. As I am writing here this morning, corn is up 5¢ and beans are up 10¢ daily, the most movement we have seen all week.

It seems that the U.S. and China are still far from a final trade deal, but it's possible that negotiations are happening next week. China has also yet to purchase soybeans from the U.S., and it appears that they will not need to this year if they can continue to import commodities from Brazil.

Looking ahead, the USDA crop report will be released today. It is expected that yield estimates will be lower than what we saw in the August report, but we will have to wait and see what that report tells us exactly and if it brings some movement in either direction.

Have a great weekend!