Negotiators at trade talks between the U.S. and China report progress, but just what that means for farmers is still unclear, in part because much of USDA is shut down over the border wall stalemate. China began buying U.S. soybeans again in December, but export sales numbers are one of many agency reports suspended due to lack of funding. The data vacuum also has traders wondering about the size of crops in the U.S. and around the world as analysts estimates hit the wires.

Bryce Knorr first joined Farm Futures Magazine in 1987. In addition to analyzing and writing about the commodity markets, he is a former futures introducing broker and is a registered Commodity Trading Advisor. He conducts Farm Futures exclusive surveys on acreage, production and management issues and is one of the analysts regularly contracted by business wire services before major USDA crop reports. Besides the Morning Call on www.FarmFutures.com he writes weekly reviews for corn, soybeans, and wheat that include selling price targets, charts and seasonal trends. His other weekly reviews on basis, energy, fertilizer and financial markets and feature price forecasts for key crop inputs. A journalist with 38 years of experience, he received the Master Writers Award from the American Agricultural Editors Association.

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