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Brazil crop concerns could support U.S. corn demand

A market analyst says he’s cautiously optimistic that demand for U.S. corn could improve from 2025.  

Jeff Peterson with Heartland Farm Partners says there’s some concern about Brazil’s second crop corn. “The estimate is there’s about 30% of that Safrinha crop that’s going to get planted outside the optimal window. Ag Rural, which will be the analytical firm out of South America that’s focused on Brazil, what they’re saying is that they think between acreage reductions on the Safrinha crop and crop yield reduction, their production could be down about 4.1%.”

He tells Brownfield the country is also using more corn for ethanol. “They have additional plants coming online. They have additional plants in the build stage and also that are in the planning stage. That’s a good sign.”

Peterson says corn exports will also depend on trading relationships and the value of the U.S. dollar.