Weekly Crop Commentary - 2/27/2026

Haylee VanScoy

Director of Grain Purchasing

Happy Friday! The sunshine yesterday and today sure has me ready for spring, and the grain markets are hinting at brighter days as we head into month-end. Wheat has been the leader today, pulling corn and beans higher as well, as geopolitical tensions add a risk premium back into the market. Crude oil has been firm on concerns surrounding the Middle East and Iran, and wheat continues to carry a risk premium tied to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The market is extremely headline-sensitive right now, as we saw with yesterday’s 27¢ swing in soybeans following Trump–Xi meeting concerns, though beans recovered and followed through stronger today. While export sales earlier this week were underwhelming, we did see some corn demand with confirmed sales to Japan and unknown destinations yesterday and this morning.

Rain is in the forecast next week, welcome news for many, especially in NW Ohio, after the latest drought monitor update. Today also marks the final day for spring crop insurance pricing, and current ratios still favor corn acres, though weather will ultimately decide that story. On the technical side, we’ve been sitting in oversold territory. Corn has pushed through its 200-day moving average today, while beans and wheat continue to trade well above. Without continued momentum or fresh bullish headlines, it’s fair to question how long this strength can last. As for new crop, we hit some key resistance levels today ($4.70 Dec corn, $11.30 Nov beans, $6.00 Jul wheat). If you haven’t rewarded this rally, it’s worth considering taking a little risk off the table with spring corn $4.50+, beans $11.50+, and cash wheat $5.50+. As always, let’s stay disciplined and proactive. Have a great weekend and stay dry next week!

Rain is in the forecast next week, welcome news for many, especially in NW Ohio, after the latest drought monitor update. Today also marks the final day for spring crop insurance pricing, and current ratios still favor corn acres, though weather will ultimately decide that story. On the technical side, we’ve been sitting in oversold territory. Corn has pushed through its 200-day moving average today, while beans and wheat continue to trade well above. Without continued momentum or fresh bullish headlines, it’s fair to question how long this strength can last. As for new crop, we hit some key resistance levels today ($4.70 Dec corn, $11.30 Nov beans, $6.00 Jul wheat). If you haven’t rewarded this rally, it’s worth considering taking a little risk off the table with spring corn $4.50+, beans $11.50+, and cash wheat $5.50+. 

As always, let’s stay disciplined and proactive. Have a great weekend and stay dry next week!

Briana Holtzman

Grain Merchandiser, Kenton (Region 1)

Soybeans seemed to take the lead again for most of the week. It started out in the red as news of Trump’s tariffs not being valid made its way through the markets. There was some concern that China might not feel as pressured to honor its soybean purchase commitment, but this changed after a statement from a Chinese press outlet that things were well between China and the US. 

To end the week, we are seeing conflict amp up between Russia and Ukraine. This is putting risk premium on soybeans, through oil, but also wheat. As I am writing this, new crop wheat is up 20¢. If you have wheat out this year, it could be a good idea to get some bushels contracted and on the books with the markets up and our basis improved. 

Looking ahead, beans are continuing to seek validation from China on their commitment to hold up their end of the handshake bargain, and Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing in April. We are also waiting for the EPA to release the final policy regulations on biofuels. 

I hope everyone has a great weekend and takes advantage of the sunny, slightly warmer weather!

Lisa Warne

Grain Merchandiser, Marysville (Region 4)

What a month! Since the beginning of February, our corn bid for nearby and new crop has gained about 15¢, nearby beans are up a dollar, new crop beans are up over 50¢, and new wheat gained almost 60¢! This is before the close on Friday, and markets still seem to be climbing. Farmers are taking advantage of these rallies, as we have been writing contracts for all three crops, both old and new, this month.

Today, wheat is the leader, while corn and beans seem to be following along. Over the last few weeks, weather conditions out west have lent some concern to the wheat crop there, and the global unease over possible military actions in Iran has added further support, with political and “what if” headlines dominating these rallies. I’m of the opinion that it’s an excellent time to take advantage of these price levels. If you’re still paying DP charges, now is probably the time to cut ties. If you haven’t started contracting for new crop yet, these are better levels than we saw at harvest time last fall. 

Give us a call to discuss your plans! Have a great weekend.

Morgan Hefner

Grain Merchandiser, Nashport (Region 6)

The bean market has given us a roller-coaster ride since last Friday and has carried on through this week. Last Friday, the USDA announced the opening of the enrollment period for the Farmer Bridge Assistance program, which will be open until April 17th. Also, last Friday, the US Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs were illegal. The soybean market took a hit immediately following the news but mostly recovered by the close. Additionally, we saw multiple days this week where beans were down significantly and up significantly within the same day. This included yesterday, when beans were down nearly 10¢ from where they opened, but closed nearly unchanged.

Looking into the corn market this week, we saw a lot of sideways movement. We still aren’t seeing news that would significantly move that market in a positive direction, but we are seeing a few cents of gain today. Speaking of a positive movement, July wheat is up 17¢ on the day as I write.

As this week has proven, the market can turn in either direction in a very short period of time. Getting target offers placed is a great way to capture these gains if they happen quickly!

Have a great weekend!