Weekly harvest progress was in line with trade expectations yesterday afternoon at 75% in beans vs 92% average and 37% in corn vs 82% average. Winter wheat planting was 86% complete vs 93% average with emergence 71% vs 82% average. The $ is a little higher this am, not providing any support for the grains. Prices were steady to mostly lower overnight in the grains but this means little ahead of the USDA report this am.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said the EPA might not make a decision on whether to increase the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline by the Dec 1 deadline.

The southwest winter wheat belt will be mostly dry until Fri-Sat, when light rain is forecast. The 6-10 day calls for below normal rain. This generally dry outlook should allow planting to finish up. The Midwest will stay mostly dry until Friday, when modest rains are forecast in the west, moving into the east over the weekend. Additional rain is forecast in the west early next week but the 6-10 day this am predicts below normal rain. The two main weather models, the US and European, disagree regarding the 6-10 day outlook so there is more uncertainty than usual in the longer range outlook this am.