Global Ag News For March 17.2026

TOP HEADLINES

Top Thai Soybean Oil Maker Sees Sales Jump Amid Mideast Conflict

Thai Vegetable Oil, the nation’s largest soybean oil producer, expects higher demand for its cooking products as more customers switching from costly palm oil.

• Palm oil prices have surged and are now approaching soybean oil prices, prompting consumers to switch to soybean oil instead, CEO Pachai Chanpitaksa tells investors Tuesday
• Palm oil prices have jumped significantly as several countries plans to increase biodiesel production to curb fuel imports
  • Most of biodiesel uses palm oil as main material
• Still, Thai Vegetable Oil is facing higher transportation costs for its soybean imports due to crude oil’s rally, according to Pachai
• Imported soybean supply hasn’t been affected by the Middle East conflict because oilseeds shipments don’t pass through the region, he says

 

FUTURES & WEATHER

Wheat prices overnight are down 1 1/4 in SRW, down 1 1/4 in HRW, down 0 in HRS; Corn is up 1/2; Soybeans down 5 1/4; Soymeal down $1.00; Soyoil down 0.05.

For the week so far wheat prices are down 17 in SRW, down 13 3/4 in HRW, down 1/6 in HRS; Corn is down 12 1/4; Soybeans down 76; Soymeal down $12.00; Soyoil down 3.57.

For the month to date wheat prices are up 4 1/2 in SRW, up 34 3/4 in HRW, up 1/6 in HRS; Corn is up 6; Soybeans down 20 3/4; Soymeal down $9.30; Soyoil up 2.04.

Year-To-Date nearby futures are up 17.7% in HRW, up 19.7% in HRW, up 9.6% in HRS; Corn is up 3.4%; Soybeans up 11.5%; Soymeal up 5.5%; Soyoil up 32.9%.

Chinese Ag futures (MAY 26) Soybeans down 20 yuan; Soymeal down 39; Soyoil down 92; Palm oil down 20; Corn down 1 — Malaysian Palm is down 71.

Malaysian palm oil prices overnight were down 71 ringgit (-1.53%) at 4583.

There were changes in registrations (-3 Corn). Registration total: 34 SRW Wheat contracts; 94 Oats; 680 Corn; 523 Soybeans; 1,536 Soyoil; 241 Soymeal; 108 HRW Wheat.

Preliminary changes in futures Open Interest as of March 16 were: SRW Wheat down 1,004 contracts, HRW Wheat up 1,419, Corn down 23,389, Soybeans down 21,862, Soymeal down 743, Soyoil down 6,778.

 

DAILY WEATHER HEADLINES: 17 MARCH 2026

• NORTH AMERICA: The U.S. Plains will not experience any meaningful rainfall over the next 10 days, but soil moisture in the main HRW wheat region remains adequate
• SOUTH AMERICA: High rainfall expected across the Pampas will be favorable for late developing soybean and corn at critical yield formation stages
• SOUTHEAST ASIA: Continuation of dry conditions in Indonesia through the next 2 weeks may affect palm oil production
• EAST ASIA: There is no risk of cold spells across the main wheat regions of China, as warm and dry weather will facilitate crops development
• TROPICS: Tropical Cyclone Twenty-seven will make landfall in Queensland (Australia) later this week, most probably as a strong Category 2 or 3 storm

 

HIGH RAINFALL LIKELY TO EMERGE IN THE ARGENTINIAN PAMPAS AND SUPPORT LATE-GROWING SOYBEANS

Weather anomaly severity: High

Crops impacted: Corn, Soybean, Coffee, Sugarcane

Preferred model for the next 5 days: EC Op

Preferred model for the 6-15 day timeframe: GFS Ens for precipitation/AIFS for 11-15 day

Forecast confidence: High overall, but low for S Brazil and Argentina between day 9-15

Model change from previous runs: Cooler across Argentina for late March

 

Brazil – Rio Grande do Sul and Parana: Isolated to scattered showers Tuesday-Thursday. Mostly dry Friday. Temperatures above normal through Friday.

Brazil – Mato Grosso, MGDS and southern Goias: Isolated to scattered showers through Friday. Temperatures near normal through Friday.  

Argentina – Cordoba, Santa Fe, Northern Buenos Aires: Scattered showers Tuesday. Mostly dry Wednesday-Thursday. Isolated showers Friday. Temperatures below normal Tuesday-Wednesday, near normal Thursday-Friday.

Argentina – La Pampa, Southern Buenos Aires: Scattered showers Tuesday. Mostly dry Wednesday-Thursday. Isolated showers Friday. Temperatures below normal Tuesday-Wednesday, near normal Thursday-Friday.

Northern Plains: Isolated showers Tuesday. Mostly dry Wednesday-Friday. Temperatures near to above normal Tuesday, above to well above normal Wednesday-Friday. Outlook: Isolated showers Saturday-Wednesday. Temperatures above to well above normal Saturday, near to above normal Sunday-Wednesday.

Central/Southern Plains: Mostly dry through Friday. Temperatures rising Tuesday, above normal Wednesday, well above normal Thursday-Friday. 6 to 10 day outlook: Mostly dry Saturday-Wednesday. Temperatures well above normal Saturday, above normal Sunday-Wednesday. Pacific Northwest Highlights… Isolated showers. Temperatures below normal.

Midwest – West: Scattered showers Tuesday. Mostly dry Wednesday-Friday. Temperatures well below normal Tuesday, near to above normal Wednesday, well above normal Thursday-Friday.

Midwest – East: Lake-effect snow Tuesday. Isolated to scattered showers Wednesday-Thursday. Mostly dry Friday. Temperatures below to well below normal Tuesday, near to below normal Wednesday, above normal Thursday-Friday. Outlook: Mostly dry Saturday. Isolated showers Sunday. Mostly dry Monday. Isolated showers Tuesday-Wednesday. Temperatures near to above normal Saturday-Wednesday.

 

The player sheet for 3/16 had funds: net sellers of 9,500 contracts of SRW wheat, sellers of 35,000 corn, sellers of 41,000 soybeans, sellers of 5,500 soymeal, and sellers of 21,000 soyoil.

TENDERS

• CORN PURCHASE: Turkish grain board TMO has provisionally bought about 280,000 metric tons of animal feed corn in an international tender seeking the same volume on Monday, European traders said. The purchase is subject to final confirmation in coming days. Initial purchases can be reduced or cancelled completely.
• WHEAT PURCHASE: South Korean flour mills bought an estimated 87,000 metric tons of milling wheat to be sourced from the United States, in an international tender on Friday, European traders said.
• SOYBEAN PURCHASE: South Korea’s state-backed Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. has bought about 125,000 metric tons of food-quality soybeans free of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) in an international tender which closed on March 12, European traders said on Tuesday.

PENDING TENDERS

• RICE TENDER: South Korea’s state-backed Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp issued an international tender to purchase an estimated 74,382 metric tons of rice, European traders said. The deadline for submissions of price offers was March 11.
• RICE TENDER: The state purchasing agency in Mauritius issued an international tender to buy 8,000 metric tons of long-grain white rice sourced from optional origins, European traders said. The deadline for submission of price offers was March 13.
• WHEAT TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to buy up to 120,000 metric tons of milling wheat that can be sourced from optional origins, European traders said. The deadline for the submission of price offers is March 17.
• BARLEY TENDER: Jordan’s state grains buyer issued an international tender to purchase up to 120,000 metric tons of animal feed barley, European traders said. The deadline for submission of price offers is March 18.
• WHEAT TENDER: The Taiwan Flour Millers’ Association issued an international tender to purchase an estimated 105,020 metric tons of grade 1 milling wheat to be sourced from the United States, European traders said. The deadline for submitting price offers is March 19.

 

 

 

 

TODAY

US Inspected 1.659m Tons of Corn for Export, 966k of Soybeans

In week ending March 12, according to the USDA’s weekly inspections report.

• Wheat: 343k tons vs 499k the previous wk, 496k a yr ago
• Corn: 1,659k tons vs 1,523k the previous wk, 1,692k a yr ago
• Soybeans: 966k tons vs 887k the previous wk, 665k a yr ago

 

US Corn, Soybean, Wheat Inspections by Country: March 12

Following is a summary of USDA inspections for week ending March 12 of corn, soybeans and wheat for export, from the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, known as GIPSA.

• Soybeans for China-bound shipments made up 546k tons of the 966k total inspected
• Mexico was the top destination for corn inspections, and also led in wheat

 

Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas Winter Wheat Crop Conditions: USDA

The USDA posts winter wheat conditions data on website for week ending March 15.

• Kansas good/excellent rating cut to 52% from 56%
• Oklahoma rating lowered to 18% from 24%

 

NOPA February US soy crush tops forecasts at 208.785 mln bushels

The U.S. soybean crush in February exceeded all trade estimates as the daily crush pace jumped to a record high, while soyoil stocks swelled to the largest since April 2020, according to monthly National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) data issued on Monday.

NOPA members, which account for nearly all soybeans processed in the United States, crushed 208.785 million bushels of soybeans last month, up 17.4% from the 177.870 million bushels processed same month a year earlier. The total reflected a daily crush rate of 7.457 million bushels a day, which topped the prior record pace of 7.343 million bushels a day set in October 2025, according to NOPA data. NOPA members crushed 221.564 million bushels in January.

The February crush had been expected at 202.725 million bushels, according to the average of estimates from nine analysts surveyed by Reuters. Their estimates ranged from 199.400 million to 205.453 million bushels, with a median of 202.750 million bushels.

U.S. crush capacity has swelled amid rising demand from biofuels makers for feedstocks like soyoil. The February crush pace rebounded from a weather-related slowdown in processing in January.

Soyoil stocks held by NOPA members as of February 28 jumped to 2.080 billion pounds, up 9.5% from 1.900 billion pounds at the end of January and up 38.4% from the 1.503 billion pounds in stocks a year earlier.

Stocks, on average, were expected to rise to 1.928 billion pounds, according to estimates from six analysts. Estimates ranged from 1.701 billion to 2.100 billion pounds, with a median of 1.963 billion pounds.

 

Brazil Sets Strict Checks for One of Every 10 Cargoes to China

Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture issued an administrative order detailing procedures for sanitary inspections of exports heading to China, determining that one of every 10 cargoes will face a strict check, according to document.

• For one in every 10 cargoes, officials from the country’s Ministry of Agriculture will collect as much as 5 kilograms to inspect for pest contamination
• In other cases, officials can run tests in smaller samples collected by exporters’ supervisors, which are private companies already responsible for other hygiene and sanitary checks
• The decision comes after some soybean cargoes failed to pass the country’s sanitary inspections last week, risking delays in shipments to China

 

Brazil 2025/26 Soy Harvest 61% Done as of March 12: Agrural

Compares with 51% a week earlier and 70% a year before, consultancy firm AgRural says in emailed report.

• “Although the pace is still the slowest since the 2020/21 harvest and delays persist in several states, the focus now is on the impact of excess and lack of rain in later-planted areas,” AgRural says
• Winter corn seeding is at 91% in the Center-South region, compared to 82% a week before and 97% in the same period last year
  • Approximately 1.3 million hectares still needed to be planted in the Center-South region, compared to half a million hectares a year ago: AgRural
• 2025/26 corn harvest is 50% complete in the Center-South, versus 42% a week earlier and 72% a year before

 

Ukraine starts 2026 spring grain sowing, traders union says

Farmers in southern Ukraine have begun the 2026 sowing campaign, sowing the first 50,000 hectares of spring cereals, the UGA traders union said on Monday.

The sowing area so far included 5,400 hectares of wheat, 16,900 hectares of barley, 5,400 hectares of oats and 25,600 hectares of peas, the union said on the Telegram messenger.

Farmers in the southern Odesa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions traditionally start sowing in the second half of February if weather conditions allow.

The Ukrainian economy ministry said last week that this year’s spring sowing campaign could start with a two-week delay due to frozen soil and remaining snow.

Ukraine has not yet announced the areas it intends to sow with spring grains this year.

 

India Feb. Oilmeals Exports Fall to 257,961 Tons

India’s oilmeals exports fell to 257,961 tons in February from 260,123 tons in January, according to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India.

• Rapeseed meal exports rose to 99,208 tons from 64,782 tons in January
• Soymeal exports fell to 112,869 tons from 132,440 tons in January
• Rice-bran extract exports fell to 23,925 tons from 35,367 tons in January
• Castorseed meal exports fell to 21,763 tons from 26,467 tons in January

 

Brazil ethanol output to grow by some 4 billion liters in 2026/27 season, local industry says

Brazil’s ethanol production is forecast to rise by some 4 billion liters in the 2026/27 season from a year earlier, which would set a record level, a statement signed by a number of local industry lobbies said on Monday.

Brazil is expected to produce 36.66 billion liters of ethanol in the 2025/26 season, according to the country’s national crop agency Conab.

 

Edible oils caught between weak demand and biodiesel bets, says analyst Mistry

Global edible oil markets are behaving unpredictably as energy supply disruptions from the Middle East war lift hopes for biodiesel demand, though subdued buying from major importers has clouded the price outlook, industry veteran Dorab Mistry said.

“Wartime market behaviour is always very different and many developments come unexpectedly,” Mistry, the director of Indian consumer goods company Godrej International, told Reuters.

Crude oil prices jumped to a near four-year high last week after Iran responded to joint U.S.-Israeli attacks by threatening to fire on vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz. This rally has made the use of vegetable oils for biofuel production more attractive.

“Right now, edible demand is subdued as prices have jumped. Market has high hopes for biodiesel. It remains to be seen which factor will eventually prevail,” Mistry said.

One of the most closely watched analysts of edible oils, Mistry’s forecasts for supply and prices often move markets.

 

WHEAT/CEPEA: Stronger dollar and higher futures push prices up in Brazil

Cepea, 16 – Sellers in Brazil are firm on spot wheat prices, supported by rising international prices and a stronger dollar. Some buyers, in turn, have returned to the market to replenish inventories. As a result, prices increased last week in most regions surveyed by Cepea.

Between March 6 and 13, in the wholesale market, prices increased 1.23% in São Paulo, 0.67% in Paraná, 1.39% in Santa Catarina and 0.87% in Rio Grande do Sul. Prices paid to wheat farmers upped 0.14% in PR, 0.15% in SC and 1.85% in RS. The US dollar increased 1.2% against Real in the same comparison, closing at BRL 5.313 on March 13.

Abroad, concerns with weather conditions in the United States have pushed wheat futures up. Moreover, the market continues to monitor geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which can boost inputs costs, especially fertilizers.

 

JBS workers launch first US meatpacking strike in 40 years, union says

• Workers strike over pay, equipment at Colorado beef plant
• JBS may not want to resolve dispute quickly, economists say
• US consumers face record costs for steaks, hamburgers

Striking JBS employees took to the streets of Greeley, Colorado, before sunrise on Monday to picket against the world’s largest meat company, in a rare labor stoppage at a U.S. meatpacking plant and a sign of upheaval in the beef industry.

The union representing about 3,800 employees at the beef processing facility said it was the first time U.S. meatpacking workers had gone on strike in four decades. They launched a two-week strike and will remain on the picket lines until JBS negotiates fairly with workers, the union said.

Workers have faced off with the company over wage increases they say fall short of inflation, and over charges for safety equipment. JBS has said it made a fair offer.

The dispute reduces U.S. beef production capacity at a time when consumers face record prices for hamburgers and steaks and President Donald Trump has struggled to make good on a pledge to cool costs. Prices soared after a years-long drought burned up grazing lands and drove ranchers to slash their herds to the lowest level in 75 years.

Normally, meatpackers briskly slaughter cattle to feed retail demand for beef. But tight cattle supplies have forced processors to pay steep costs for cattle, likely leaving JBS less incentivized to resolve the strike quickly, economists said.

“Why would you be in a hurry if you’re already losing money on running that plant?” said Altin Kalo, economist for Steiner Consulting Group.

Processors last month were losing more than $300 per head on each animal they slaughtered, according to Denver-based livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com. On Monday, profits were estimated at about $60 per head. Margins improved recently as the looming strike helped pressure cattle prices, while beef demand stayed strong, analysts said.

 

 

 

 

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