Top 5 Things to Watch

By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of March 31. Watch for coverage of these and other topics through the week on our subscription platforms as well as on www.DTNPF.com. Note that all webinar and report release times are Central Daylight Time (CDT) unless otherwise noted.

1. Market settles after disaster dustups: Market traders will be coming back after the Easter long weekend straight into April. We'll continue to track livestock and grain markets as they take in the recent news of the ship accident shutting down Baltimore Harbor and dairy cattle contracting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). For the latest on the harbor's effect in the ag world, see DTN Fertilizer Editor Russ Quinn's piece here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…. During Easter weekend, there was news the HPAI had spread to dairy cows now in five states; the situation could change the dynamics of the outbreak and indicate cow-to-cow transmission could be possible. For the latest on the dairy sickness issue, see DTN Ag Policy Editor's story here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

2. USDA Crop Progress reports begin: April 1 (no fooling) marks the beginning of the weekly Crop Progress reports from USDA, which track planting progress and crop condition through the growing season. Those reports typically come out at 3:00 p.m. on Mondays (unless Monday is a national holiday). We will have both the report numbers and analysis by DTN reporters, meteorologists, and analysts each report afternoon.

3. Take that, Drought Monitor: Thanks to recent spring storms, the "drought is getting pounded," according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick. He noted that while there are still areas that can use rainfall to make up for multiple seasons of shortfall, the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor is losing some of its yellow and brown coloration (indicating moisture deficits. The Ohio Valley and Southwest Plains could get more rain this week as another round of systems work their way across the U.S. If you missed it, here's what Baranick wrote about what a developing La Nina event means for the weather patterns this summer and beyond: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

4. Frost watch: The cold fronts that kick off spring storms could also bring frosts to the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandle areas, where wheat has been responding to unusually warm temperatures. We'll watch for any issues there. As for Easter Sunday, critical fire conditions are expected as red flag warnings have been issued from Colorado and Kansas down to the West Texas region.

5. Economic reports: Back to a full week of reports, no fooling. We'll start Monday at 8:45 a.m. with the S&P manufacturing PMI report. At 9 a.m. is Construction Spending, followed by the 10 a.m. Grain Inspections numbers. At 2 p.m. we'll see Cotton Consumption and Stocks, Fats and Oils report and Grain Crushings. At 3 p.m. will be the season's first USDA Crop Progress report. Tuesday's first reports, at 9 a.m., include Factory Orders and Job Openings (JOLTS) reports. At 2 p.m. is the Hatchery Production Annual report. Wednesday starts early with 7:15 a.m. ADP Employment. At 8:45 a.m. we'll watch for the S&P Services PMI. At 10 a.m. comes EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status including ethanol production and stocks. At 2 p.m. is the Broiler Hatchery numbers. Thursday we'll see Initial Jobless Claims, U.S. Trade Balance and Grain Export sales all at 7:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. the Weekly Economic Index is out, followed by the 2 p.m. release of Agricultural Land Values. Friday morning is filled with jobs reports, with 7:30 a.m. release of U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate, and Hourly Wages. At 11 a.m. the Livestock and Meat Trade data report is due, with a Dairy Products report at 2 p.m. Also at 2 is the latest Consumer Credit numbers, and the 2:30 p.m. release of the CFTC's Commitment of Traders report.

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