Grain Market News Today: Corn Futures Slide as Holiday Trading Thins

TokenTherapist · 2025-12-31T15:16:36+00:00

Corn futures fell 7 to 8 cents, reversing previous gains, with cash prices at $3.99 ¾. Despite a dip in shipments, exports were strong year-over-year, marking a record in cumulative shipments. Ethanol production declined, but demand remains steady.

TokenTherapist

2025-12-31 15:16:36

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Corn futures declined 7 to 8 cents during Monday trading sessions, reversing earlier weekly gains that emerged during the holiday-shortened market. The national average cash corn price settled at $3.99 ¾, reflecting a 6 ¾ cent pullback from previous levels. This pullback came amid relatively light trading activity typical of the post-holiday period.

Export Activity Remains Strong Despite Weekly Dip

Weekly export inspection reports revealed corn shipments reached 1.301 million metric tons (51.2 million bushels) in the week ending Christmas Day. While this represented a 25.53% decrease from the previous week—an expected seasonal pattern—it marked a notable 43.37% increase compared to the same week a year ago. Mexico led destination markets with 400,140 MT received, followed by Colombia (221,240 MT) and Japan (219,137 MT).

Year-to-date marketing performance has proven robust, with cumulative shipments hitting 25.57 million metric tons (1.006 billion bushels). This volume reflects a 66.17% increase year-over-year and represents a historic milestone: the first time the market has shipped over 1 billion bushels before calendar year-end since September 1 records began tracking this metric.

Ethanol Markets Show Mixed Signals

Monday afternoon EIA data indicated ethanol production declined by 36,000 barrels to 1.095 million barrels daily for the week ending December 19. Inventory levels rose 175,000 barrels to 22.528 million barrels total, signaling adequate supply conditions. Export volumes expanded 28,000 bpd to 219,000 bpd, while refiner ethanol inputs increased 6,000 bpd to 912,000 bpd, suggesting steady downstream demand.

Futures Contract Valuations Across the Curve

Mar 26 Corn futures closed at $4.42 ¼, down 7 ¾ cents, with nearby cash positions at $3.99 ¾, down 6 ¾ cents. Deferred contracts also experienced pressure: May 26 Corn declined 7 ½ cents to $4.50 ¾, while Jul 26 Corn fell 7 ¼ cents to $4.57 per bushel, indicating consistent weakness throughout the forward curve.

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