Spending Bill: Direct Farm Payments Inevitable + E15 Surprise

Grain Markets and Other Stuff

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0:00 Direct Farm Payments
4:08 Year-Round / Nationwide E15
6:37 Soybean Collapse
8:12 Reduced Russian Wheat Crop
9:39 Brazil Currency
11:22 Flash Sales
Stopgap US Government Spending Bill Includes Aid for Farmers
If approved, the stopgap US government spending bill will include additional economic assistance for farmers. The bill extends the 2018 Farm Bill for one year and provides $10 billion in aid to help farmers cope with challenging markets and severe weather conditions. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill Thursday night, and it will then head to the Senate for approval before the government shutdown deadline on Friday night.
Year-Round E15 Fuel Sales Approved
The stopgap funding bill will allow for the year-round, nationwide sale of E15 fuel. Currently, E15 is available only in a few states during the summer months due to environmental restrictions. The approval is expected to gradually increase ethanol usage, with demand growth contingent on consumer adoption and infrastructure development.
Soybean Futures Hit Fresh Lows
Soybean futures fell to fresh lows overnight, with the March 2025 contract dipping below $9.70 per bushel for the first time. The violation of key technical support levels led to additional selling pressure. The global soybean supply and demand situation is projected to be hugely burdensome due to the expectation of a massive Brazilian crop. While US processors are on track to crush a record amount of soybeans, exports have been weak compared to the last decade.
Sovecon Cuts Russia’s 2025 Wheat Crop Forecast
Sovecon, a Russian consulting group, has reduced its forecast for Russia’s 2025 wheat crop by 3.7%, bringing the projection down to 78.7 million metric tons (mmt). The reduction is due to poor crop conditions, which are some of the worst seen in decades. If achieved, the 2025 wheat crop would be the smallest since 2021 and below the five-year average of 88.2 mmt.
Brazilian Central Bank Intervenes to Stabilize Real
The Central Bank of Brazil conducted two dollar auctions on Tuesday, totaling over $3.3 billion in an effort to stabilize the real. This marks the fourth intervention in three days, aiming to halt the currency’s steep decline. The real has fallen by more than 20% this year, hitting a record low against the US dollar. On the back of this, Brazil’s central bank hiked interest rates by 1% to 12.25% last week, with two more hikes expected by March.
The USDA reported several flash sales of soybeans and corn on Tuesday:
170,400mt (7 million bushels) of corn were sold to Mexico for delivery during the 2024/2025 marketing year.
187,000mt (7 million bushels) of soybeans were sold to Spain for delivery in the 2024/2025 marketing year.
132,000mt (5 million bushels) of soybeans were sold to unknown destinations for delivery in the 2024/2025 marketing year.