How is ‘chaotic crude’ affecting grain prices?How is ‘chaotic crude’ affecting grain prices?

Crude oil has taken a wild ride so far this week, dragging down everything from financial markets to grain prices as that market tanked. Corn has taken the hardest hit so far, with May futures trading higher on Wednesday but down significantly over the past six weeks on crumbling ethanol demand.

But other grain prices are showing a little more optimism this week. Wheat, in particular, has some upside potential as Black Sea exports begin to dry up, and as lower-than-expected crop quality ratings for the U.S. crop surprised analysts on Monday.

Volatility has been the name of the game in 2020, and this week has offered plenty of evidence that it will continue to be a bumpy ride for grain prices moving forward. Farm Futures grain market analyst Jacquie Holland and Farm Futures senior editor Ben Potter sit down for the first of many weekly chats to discuss all the factors in play and take a deeper dive into commodity price trends.

Here’s what we’ve been focused on so far this week: