Corn prices witnessed some volatile swings, responding in a knee-jerk fashion to changing supply and demand projections. Adding downside was speculation that the U.S., the world’s biggest shipper of the grain, will increase production 15 percent to a record, according to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture. Yields may average 164 bushels an acre, the USDA added; however, about 4.95 billion bushels will be used to make ethanol, the fewest in three years. Shrinking demand for ethanol may result in stockpiles of corn in the U.S. to double to 1.62 billion bushels in the 2012-13 marketing year from 801 million bushels in the prior year. At the beginning of the month corn prices rose, and then reversed on speculation that the USDA would lower its estimate for global stockpiles, however, as the month went on and the USDA released its evidence that stockpiles and production are set to rise, corn prices corrected. In conclusion, after starting the month at $6.42 a bushel, corn prices closed finished off the month modestly up, at $6.52 a bushel.
Monthly Corn Prices: February
February 29, 2012 By