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Breaking down the NBA Finals with agriculture

Ohio and California square off for the third straight year

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The NBA takes center stage Thursday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors meet for the third consecutive year in the NBA Finals.

Last year, Cleveland brought a championship back to Ohio. And in 2015 it was Golden State emerging victorious.

Basketball analysts have debated whether the dominance of LeBron James or Golden State’s addition of Kevin Durant will lift their respective teams to a championship.

Once again, Farms.com will use data from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to determine the winner of the NBA championship.

** Signals advantage for each team

 OhioCalifornia
NBA Team
Number of farms74,50076,700**
Total acres operated14,000,00025,400,000**
Beef cow inventory (as of Jan 1, 2017)288,000655,000**
Milk production ($)$929,376,000$6,070,350,000**
Top commodity ($)Soybeans - $2,545,477,000**Strawberries - $1,834,783,000
Total value of ag products sold ($)$10,064,085,000$42,627,472,000**
Average age of principal operator56.8**60.1
Number of farms with more than $500,000 in sales4,6399,519**
Cut Christmas trees and short rotation woody crops ($)$3,988,000**$2,706,000

Judging by the data, the Golden State Warriors will be the 2017 NBA champions.

Be sure to also check out Farms.com's agricultural breakdown of the Stanley Cup Final


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Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?

Video: Will the 2025 USDA December Crop Report Be a Market Mover/Surprise?


Historically, the USDA December crop report is a non-event or another dud report as the USDA reserves any final supply changes to the final report in January of the following year in this case 2026. But after the longest U.S. government shutdown in history at 43 days and no October crop report will they provide more data/surprise and make an exception?
Our China U.S. soybean purchase tracker is now at 26.6% or a total of 3.2 mmt but for traders it’s taking too long to unfold.
The final Stats Canada production report was bearish canola and wheat projection a record crop in both (it adds to the global glut of supplies) and bullish local corn and soybean prices in Ontario/Quebec thanks to a drought. It will not help the fund flow short-term, the USDA may need to offset it?
A U.S. Fed interest rate cut of another 25-basis point next Wednesday (probability 87.1%) could help fund flow and sentiment in stock and ag commodities into year end.
More inflows into Bitcoin this past week saw prices rebound back above 90,000 with support at 82,000 and resistance at 96,000.
A V-shaped bottom in cattle suggest the lows are in after Mexico reported another new world screwworm case. Lower weights, seasonal demand and higher U.S. beef select/choice values with a continued closure of the Mexican border to cattle will result in a resumption of higher cattle futures into yearend.
Australia is expected to produce its 3rd largest wheat crop ever at 36 mmt adding to the global glut of supplies.
Reports of ASF in hogs in Spain the largest pork exporter in Europe could see the U.S. win more pork export business long-term.
If the rains verify into next week of 3-5 inches for Brazil it would go a long way to fixing the dry regions from the last 2-months, but the European weather model has been wrong for the past 2-months!
Natural gas futures are surging to the 3rd price count as frigid hold temps set in.
CDN $ is also surging to end the week on a very resilient economy and better employment numbers suggesting no interest rate cuts next week.
Finally, the CFTC report showed funds were net buyers of soybeans but sellers of corn, canola and wheat. In real time the funds have gone back to selling as they take some profits.