Just saw the USDA expected plantings report and it looks like Illinois producers are moving toward more corn acres planted in 2025. Numbers look for corn acres to be up around five percent and bean acres to be off the same amount.
Even with higher input prices per acre for corn I think producers are looking how their crop decisions will be affected by tariffs.
Even with low commodity prices for both corn and beans I think producers believe they can still move more corn across the global export market than beans. These tariffs will no doubt paint US farmers as an unreliable source of supply and South America is more than poised to jump at that in the bean market; but not so much in corn. I’d say our farmers are looking to hedge their bet.
With planting season in full gear it may seem like fall harvest is a long way off, and it is, but if you are going to be profitable in today’s agriculture you are already looking out to May 2026. So the question today is what will I do with my 2025 crop to attain profitability? Well, we’ve got just the program to answer that question.
The Lee, Carroll, Ogle and Whiteside County Farm Bureaus along with COUNTRY Financial will host a crop marketing outlook on the evening of June 18; at the Days Inn, Rock Falls. “Managing Crop Revenue and Market Price Risks” is a two-hour seminar designed specifically for producers to help them manage risk associated with the current commodity markets and identify market conditions to capture profit margins through this year into next.
Dr. Steve Johnson, Iowa State University Extension Farm Management Specialist, will facilitate the program. Steve has served as the Farm & Ag Business Management Specialist in Central Iowa for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach since 1999.
He specializes in topics related to government farm programs, crop insurance, crop marketing, grain contracts, farmland leasing and other crop risk management strategies. In the past year, he has conducted more than 120 meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences across the Corn Belt with nearly 15,000 in attendance.
Steve uses web sites such as ISU Ag Decision Maker and Polk County Extension Farm Management along with various print and electronic media. Annually he reaches more than 200,000 producers, landowners and other agribusiness professionals.
During the two-hour program producers will examine the following topics: Global Supply/Demand & Crop Price Outlook; Crop Insurance Coverage Review; Impact of Tariffs on US Trade; Developing & Implementing a Marketing Plan; Understanding Summer Weather Forecasts; and Pre-Harvest Marketing Strategies & Tools.
This presentation will assist producers in designing and implementing a marketing plan that is specific to their own operation. It will present producers with various options they can effectively utilize to capture market profits, manage market risks in this volatile market, minimize cost increases and make informed decisions on input pricing, storage options and position their marketing plan for profit protection. Market, global and recent economic factors will be examined and producers will learn to identify where profit opportunities and pitfalls lie for their farm operations.
Pre-registration is required. To register for the program call 815-732-2231 or email cfb@ogle.comcastbiz.net
Program begins at 7 p.m. on June 18; Days Inn, Rock Falls.
To close, here’s market report you can relate to.
Helium was up, feathers were down. Paper was stationary. Fluorescent bulbs dimmed with light trading. Knives were up sharply. Pencils lost a few points. Hiking equipment was trailing. Elevators rose, while escalators continued their slow decline. Light switches were off. Mining equipment hit rock bottom. Diapers remained unchanged. Cruise lines kept at an even keel. Towels dried up and then showered down. Coca Cola fizzled after heavy gains. Caterpillar stock inched up. Balloons were inflated. Batteries exploded after trying to recharge the market. Toilet paper touched bottom.
Hogs bogged down in a trough. Cattle trailed off. Chicken flew up to roost at new heights. Eggs cracked up, but then slipped off. Milk was fluid, cheese was firm, and butter churned up and down. Hay rolled up, and then soured in a storm. Corn popped early, but flaked off through the week. Cotton was soft all week. Peanuts, came out of their shell last week, and were boiling this week. Beans went down easy, but then rattled up through the end.
Ron Kern is the manager of the Ogle County Farm Bureau.
