Financial markets are again having an impact on what happens with farm prices. Grain futures firmed overnight following gains Wednesday caused in part by steep losses in the value of the U.S. dollar. U.S. officials appeared to back those losses as a way to close the yawning trade deficit, but the move sent the value of dollar-denominated commodities surging. Crude oil jumped to the highest level in more than three years, keeping diesel costs expensive as growers begin to think about refilling tanks for spring.

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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