This broadcast of the Closing Market Report from June 29, 2026, hosted by Todd Gleason, provides a comprehensive overview of commodity markets, agricultural policy, industry data, and global weather patterns. The program begins with an assessment of the grain markets, noting a broad downward trend in corn, soybean, and wheat futures ahead of the upcoming USDA reports. Guest analyst Sue Martin shares regional crop insights from North Central Iowa, highlighting favorable crop appearances due to timely rains and structured planting rotations. She anticipates potential shifts in acres toward soybeans in the upcoming government data and outlines market expectations for a July low followed by a demand-driven rally tied to international trade developments with China.
The report transitions into federal regulatory updates, highlighting the USDA’s finalization of a voluntary regenerative feedstock rule linked to low-carbon biofuel markets and the federal 45Z credit. The program also touches on a joint university study tracking rural concerns regarding the expansion of AI data centers, as well as new bipartisan legislation designed to train local extension agents to counter the spread of the New World screwworm pest. In livestock industry updates, recent USDA NASS figures are presented, showing a total US hog and pig inventory of 73.7 million head alongside steady weaning averages. This is followed by a discussion on legislative friction regarding California’s Prop 12 standards and a Supreme Court decision affecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for immigrants, which may tighten labor supplies for food processors and meatpackers.
The final segment features an ag weather analysis with Mark Russo of EverStream Analytics, detailing an immediate heat wave and high humidity building across the Corn Belt and the Central and Eastern United States. Russo reports an increase in short-term environmental stress across multiple livestock sectors-including Plains beef cattle, Midwestern poultry and swine operations, and East Coast facilities-though high winds and projected ridge shifts are expected to offer regional relief and more normalized temperatures by the following week. Additionally, the forecast indicates a low threat of disruptive heat during domestic corn pollination throughout July, while contrasting these developments with an intensifying, multi-wave European heat wave breaking all-time temperature records in Germany and Poland and compounding summer crop deficits across Western and Eastern Europe.
01:22 Ag Markets with Sue Martin, Ag and Investment Services
08:31 WILLAg News for June 29, 2026
11:52 Considering Pork Industry News
15:08 Ag Weather with Mark Russo, EverStream Analytics