The Rising Influence of Rising Affluence

[DewDiligence]

Re: Agriculture sell-off

https://www.wsj.com/articles/corn-soybeans-tumble-on-forecast-for-another-bumper-harvest-1502385399

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday unexpectedly raised its estimate for this year’s soybean harvest to a potential record of nearly 4.4 billion bushels. The USDA’s forecast for this year’s corn harvest, 14.2 billion bushels, would be closer than expected to last year’s record 15.2 billion-bushel haul.

Crop prices and agricultural stocks fell sharply on the report. September-dated soybean futures fell 3.3% to $9.34 a bushel at the Chicago Board of Trade while September corn fell 4% to $3.57 1/4 a bushel. Shares in farm-equipment company Deere & Co. and pesticide makers DuPont Co. and FMC Corp. dropped on the prospect of continued trouble for farmers.

The USDA expects farmers’ incomes this year to be half of what they were in 2013, the fourth consecutive annual decline. Even as weather problems emerge, traders have been slow to raise crop prices because of ample global supplies.

p.s. MON is insulated from all this because it’s essentially a cash asset now.