By Patrick Garrity & Mark Soderberg – Grain PhD Ag Risk Specialists
USDA Reports – I’m sure you are aware that the USDA releases a number of reports, but do you really understand the data included and what purpose it serves?
At Grain PhD our goal is to educate farmers, and equip you with the tools and information you need to become a better grain marketer. In this article, we will focus on USDA Reports. Understanding these reports will allow you to make more educated decisions in your grain marketing.
USDA reports are closely monitored by traders, like our Grain PhD Ag Risk Specialists, and are important because they can greatly affect price direction in the grain markets. There are weekly, monthly and quarterly reports and each have a varying degree of impact. Although different analysts calculate their numbers regarding grain fundamentals, the USDA is the official outlook.
Weekly Reports
Export Inspections & Sales Report: This report shows the amount of each crop that was exported. There are export inspections on Mondays, and the actual figures are released Thursday mornings.
Crop Progress Report: This report is issued at 3:00 p.m. CT on the first business day of the week. It includes crop conditions in each state ranging from excellent to very poor, and it also includes what percentage of the crop has been planted in each state.
Monthly Report
WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates) Report: This report essentially gives the breakdown of the balance sheet with the main figures being the ending stocks numbers. On one side they are showing the supply with production and imports, and on the other side is the demand, which is domestic use and exports.
The remaining monthly USDA Reports in 2018 will be released at 11 a.m. CT on May 10th, June 12th, July 12th, August 10th, September 12th, October 11th, November 8th, and December 11th.
Quarterly Report
Quarterly Grain Stocks Report: This report is based on estimates from surveys. The surveys are conducted during the first two weeks of December, March, June, and September, with separate surveys to obtain the on-farm and off-farm estimates. Producers are asked to provide the total quantities of grain present on their operations as of the survey date. The information includes all grains and oilseeds stored.
The remaining quarterly USDA Reports in 2018 will be released at 11 a.m. CT on June 29th and September 28th.
To see an in-depth analysis of these reports with examples of how they have shifted the markets in the past, click here. To receive more educational articles like this, or to talk to an Ag Risk Specialist about using these reports to maximize the profitability on your farm, visit www.grainphd.com or call 1-844-GRAIN-01.