As the start of the new school year is upon us, and the summer temp is really kicking in, the 2024 harvest is just around the corner. It is time to start figuring out what we need for the harvest season.  Fuel, oil, def and tires are some of the things to start with. The prices going into harvest look like they should stay the same if there is no big hurricane or shutdown on the refineries end.

The propane trucks are starting the route to delivering the summer fill program. The price of summer fills this year is $1.45 with a contract price of $1.50. I would also like to thank the Central Farmers board of directors for approving us for a new propane truck for the Canistota, Freeman, Marion territory.

I would also like to thank Tom Mutziger for his many years of service with Central Farmers and wish him good luck in his future career.  The crew and I in Salem would like to welcome Shawn Barron as our new refined fuels bulk driver. With that I would like to say thank you for all your business and have a good rest of your summer.

The agriculture market was mostly higher yesterday (7/25) following a week of steady increase in price action both in corn and beans. Rallies can be contributed to some Trump trade, improved demand and hot/dry forecast in the western corn belt. Triple digit heat in the northern plains in Montana reached 105-109 and some of those hot temperatures crept into Western Dakota’s. High 90’s and low 100’s will continue to be widespread in the Southern Plains and far Western Corn Belt little to no rain forecasted in that region will further stress unirrigated row crops. Above normal temperatures are predicted throughout the whole United States and expected to last through the first week in August. That’s enough on weather for now.

Corn finished nearly three cents higher on yesterday's trade putting Sep corn at $4.06. The next resistance level for Sep corn is the July high at $4.13¾. December corn closed at $4.20¾ with resistance at $4.26½. Speculative traders are believed to have bought 25k contracts this week, however, still hold a historically large short position at 320k contracts. Corn exports at 42 million bushels are in line with expectations. Onto soybeans they closed 15½ cents higher in yesterday's session putting November beans at $10.79½. Strong export sales and increased price action in soybean meal along with weather has helped the bean rally this week.

What a wild season it has been with the weather and the markets. Post soybean herbicide looks to be wrapping up. We are finding continued insect pressure in the alfalfa and finding aphids in soybeans with a few fields needing treatment. We are also seeing some increase in disease pressure. Now is the time to talk to your sales agronomist about the benefits of fungicide and foliar feed options to protect your top end yield. If you wait until you see significant disease pressure you are already losing top end yield!