Farm Progress

Will U.S. Soybean production square up the global balance sheet?

Kevin Van Trump, Founder

July 8, 2016

2 Min Read

Soybeans caught a slight bid Friday morning, but many insiders believe the market now looks poised to test major psychological and technical support in the $10-10.20 range vs. the NOV16 contract.

The bulls continue to argue that as prices move lower we are only encouraging more U.S. exports. The bears are pointing to the fact China is letting the yuan devalue at a fairly rapid pace following the "Brexit" vote. If you remember, the last time China let the yuan massively devalue was back in mid-August of last year and soybean prices tumbled by more than $1 in less than 30 days as macro bulls quickly reversed course.

Also, worth noting is the fact China is having some logistical problems associated with the floods happening along the Yangtze River in central and eastern China. Thoughts are supplies are backing up temporarily in crush facilities as they simply can not move the meal, hence perhaps a bit less demand needed nearby. There's also talk that more U.S. old-crop sales will need to be rolled forward to the new-crop balance sheet as boats seems slow to load and unload.

Here at home the bears continue to argue that U.S. acres will again need to be moved higher in the weeks ahead, simply not buying the latest USDA data sighting +6 million more corn acres and only +1 million more soybean acres than last year. The bears also want to argue a higher yield, perhaps a more accurate number between 47 and 48 bushels per acre.

Like most all bulls, I believe it's way too early to be talking about record U.S. soybean yields. In fact, if Chinese demand stays strong and complications in South America stay constant, the U.S. balance sheet will need record yields to balance the books.

As a producer I want to remain extremely patient in regard to making additional new-crop cash sales. Those who are heavily hedge on the board might want to think about reducing some exposure or preparing for a possible bounce. As a spec I like the thought of dipping a toe in the water on the buy side between $10 and $10.20 per bushel.

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About the Author

Kevin Van Trump

Founder, Farmdirection.com

Kevin is a leading expert in Agricultural marketing and analysis, he also produces an award-winning and world-recognized daily industry Ag wire called "The Van Trump Report." With over 20 years of experience trading professionally at the CME, CBOT and KCBOT, Kevin is able to 'connect-the-dots' and simplify the complex moving parts associated with today's markets in a thought provoking yet easy to read format. With thousands of daily readers in over 40 countries, Kevin has become a sought after source for market direction, timing and macro views associated with the agricultural world. Kevin is a top featured guest on many farm radio programs and business news channels here in the United States. He also speaks internationally to hedge fund managers and industry leading agricultural executives about current market conditions and 'black swan' forecasting. Kevin is currently the acting Chairman of Farm Direction, an international organization assembled to bring the finest and most current agricultural thoughts and strategies directly to the world's top producers. The markets have dramatically changed and Kevin is trying to redefine how those in the agricultural world can better manage their risk and better understand the adversity that lies ahead. 

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