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Farmers make tough crop marketing decisions

Farmers across the Corn Belt are navigating uncertain commodity markets.

In northeast Missouri, Matt Wright says he delivered some forward-contracted old crop corn to the elevator and feed mill this week.

“Like everyone else, I wish I would have sold more but you just never how the markets are going to go. We’re just trying to feed it along as we have a good price.”

Wright says he didn’t think $4.75 corn was a great price in January, but he says it’s better than the current local mid-May cash price of $4.16.

In northern Minnesota, Betsy Jensen, a farmer and farm business management instructor, says new crop marketing has been a challenge.

“I look at the markets and think, is this the best we’re going to do? It might be and I might just have to accept that, but it’s been tough.”

Jensen says her goal for 2025 was to sell new crop corn at $4, which means selling at $4.70 futures, and there was only a tiny window to capture that price. But “it’s only May and I’m trying to be optimistic things will turn out in the long run.”

Prices can vary greatly based on regional supply and demand factors.