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Long-term potential in corn market

The co-founder of AgMarket.net says the August WASDE report highlighted potential long-term opportunities for corn farmers.

Matt Bennett, who also farms in central Illinois, says this year’s 17-million-acre spread between U.S. corn and soybean acreage is likely to shrink in 2026.

“And the big reason for that is the corn-to-fertilizer price ratio is the worst we’ve ever seen.”  He says, “You’re just not going to sell a whole lot of phosphate this year. It’s excessively high. I think it’s gonna be problematic for growers to push corn acres next year.”

He tells Brownfield that he plans to store as much corn as possible, while also having a plan for the bushels that must be sold at harvest.

“You know, this basis is liable to be super wide.”  He says, “If we really do have a 188.8, that means there’s multiple counties in multiple states that are gonna post wildly above record yields. Quantify your worst-case scenario on the bushels that you know have to go to town. Anything that I know I have to have money on this fall, I wanna go back and re-own.”

Bennett says those re-owning strategies tend to be cheaper than commercial storage, which becomes even more relevant as producers’ margins shrink.

 Brownfield spoke with Bennett at the 2025 Central Illinois Becknology Days in El Paso.

AUDIO: Matt Bennett – AgMarket.net