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 April 7. 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. Rare solar eclipse: A rare total solar eclipse will be seen in a belt from southwest Texas to New York on Monday. The biggest concerns will be the traffic with lots of tourists driving unfamiliar roads and clogged towns during the many festivals planned this weekend. We'll have on-the-ground follow-up reporting. In the meantime, if you're in the path of the eclipse, drive defensively and enjoy.

2. WASDE Thursday: On April 11, at 11 a.m. we'll have the USDA Crop Production and April World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) reports. Watch for our WASDE preview earlier in the week. Our initial flash story will hit DTN digital platforms just after the report release, with updates and commentary throughout the 11 a.m. hour. As always, we'll follow with a 12:30 p.m. webinar featuring reports insight by DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman. DTN will also have a full recap at market day's end and in our Closing Market video. To register for the webinar, go here: https://www.dtn.com/….

3. Rain stays in forecast: More showers are forecast to move through the Central and Southern Plains this weekend with widespread showers next week. The pattern stays active in April, increasing the chances to build soil moisture ahead of spring planting. Even so, there are no areas in the region that are overly wet, so spring planting is likely to be on time. Weather will be quieter across the Northern Plains, with some chance for showers Sunday and Monday. Temperatures are rising this week, which has already melted the snow in South Dakota and is adding to soil moisture. The lack of snowpack should lead to on-time planting.

4. Eyes on South America: As we've been reporting all winter, grain markets continue to watch as Brazilian crops go into final growth stages. Soil moisture continues to be less than normal in many areas, especially in the safrinha (second-crop) corn-growing regions. For the latest conditions, see South America Calling blog here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

5. Economic reports this week: Monday, at 10 a.m. we'll look at Grain Inspections and Survey of Consumer Expectations. At 3 p.m. USDA releases the second week of USDA NASS' weekly national Crop Progress reports; we'll have the latest numbers with commentary soon after. Tuesday is quiet with no scheduled reports. Action picks back up at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Core CPI. At 9 a.m. is wholesale inventories, followed at 9:30 a.m. with EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status report, including ethanol production and stocks. At 1 p.m., the Monthly U.S. Federal Budget. At 2 p.m., the Broiler Hatchery report. Phew. Thursday we'll watch for the 7:30 a.m. release of grain export sales, Initial Jobless Claims, Producer Price Index (PPI), and Core PPI. At 10:30, the Weekly Economic Index rolls out, followed by the 11 a.m. the USDA Crop Production report and April WASDE report. Friday sees the 7:30 a.m. release of the Import Price Index and Imports and Exports reports. At 9 a.m. we'll see Consumer Sentiment, followed by Turkey Hatchery report at 2 p.m., and at 2:30 p.m. the CFTC's Commitment of Traders report.

Watch for the latest news at www.dtnpf.com, and follow and like our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dtnprogressivefarmer. You can find our news on Instagram as well. Give us a follow @dtn.agnews

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