USDA Releases Uneventful March WASDE

The USDA released its March World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report Tuesday morning.

 

Dan Basse is president of AgResource Company in Chicago.

 

"The March reports are usually one of the most boring of the year and this one didn't disappoint," he said. "If we look at U.S. corn, soybean and wheat ending stocks, they were exactly unchanged from February...and then if we look to the world numbers, the Argentinian number on soybeans was dropped a half million metric tons to 47.5 million metric tons. The Brazilian number was raised one million metric tons to 134 million. Looking around to Chinese demand or other crops around the world, nothing changed of substance and so the market here is really left with kind of what it had, which is trying to determine what South American crop sizes really are and then the veracity of Chinese demand going forward."

 

Basse says there are farmers in the southern United States looking at corn planting within the next two weeks, depending on the forecast.

Video: Veteran Farmers: A Legacy of Service in Rural America

Veterans Day is a time to honor the men and women who have selflessly protected our freedoms and values. And for some, the transition from military service to civilian life brings them back to the farm.

At Farm Bureau, we believe it’s important to not only celebrate veterans but also those who continue to make a difference in agriculture and their community. We've partnered with Farm Credit to establish the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence to shine a light on those who have continued to go above and beyond to serve their communities.

This year, we recognize retired Colonel Joe Ricker as the inaugural Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence winner. Joe served over 30 years in the Army before retiring from the Pentagon and completing tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Since leaving the Army, his commitment to excellence in farming and enriching the lives of veterans has blossomed in a myriad of ways in both his local community of Wilkinson, Indiana, and across the country. Joe grows apples and raises bees on his farm in Indiana. Joe founded “Veterans IN Farming,” an organization, now with more than 1,100 members, dedicated to providing veterans in Indiana with the tools and training to succeed in agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization, comprised of and directed by farm and ranch families who engage in all types of food, fuel and fiber production.