August 15, 2011

 

US soy to benefit from showers

 

 

Showers and moderate temperatures in the US this week will boost soy output and alleviate deteriorating corn crop, according to Reuters.

 

But only minor relief from drought was in the cards for the parched Plains wheat and cattle country, an agricultural meteorologist said on Friday (Aug 12).

 

Light rainfall this week in parts of the Plains and cooler temperatures will be replaced by dryness and heat next week.

 

"The rains in southern Kansas and Oklahoma are the first they have had in a long time, but I am pessimistic going forward. I am not optimistic about planting the wheat crop," the meteorologist said.

 

Temperatures eased into the 70s and 80s F across a broad swatch of the Plains and Midwest over the past week following a period of near relentless heat with highs in the 100s F that harmed crops.

 

The USDA on Thursday (Aug 11) said the corn crop, hit by a heatwave, would total 12.914 billion bushels, with the soy crop at 3.056 billion bushels. Both estimates came below the average of analysts' projections in a Reuters poll.

 

A turn to cooler and wetter weather will stabilise the corn crop and boost the final filling stage of development; likewise the soy crop which is in its pod-setting stage of growth.

 

USDA on Monday (Aug 8) said 93% of the corn crop was silking or pollinating and 51% of the soy crop was setting pods.

 

It also said 60% of the corn crop was in good to excellent shape, down from 62% a week ago and below the 71% good to excellent rating of a year ago.

 

Sixty-one percent of the soy crop was in good to excellent condition, up from 60% a week ago and below the 66% rating of a year ago.

 

Palmerino said another round of light showers could be expected in the Midwest about midweek next week followed by warm but not hot temperatures.

 

Telvent's six- to 10-day outlook for the Midwest from Wednesday (Aug 17) through Sunday (Aug 21) this week was for normal to above-normal temperatures with normal to above-normal rainfall in the north, and normal to below-normal rainfall in the south.

 

For the Plains, the six- to 10-day forecast called for above-normal temperatures and below-normal rainfall.