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 Sept. 29. 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 report release times are Central Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

1. Hurricane recovery: As families and communities deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we're checking in with farm families in the region. In markets we'll evaluate damage to the cotton crop, which in so many areas sat ready to be harvested as the storm moved in.

2. Monday Grain Stocks report: We'll cover the USDA September Quarterly Grain Stocks report and Small Grains Summary, which goes live at 11 a.m. As always, our flash story with the numbers will be up shortly afterward, with updates and analysis through the morning. Our post-report webinar, with DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman kicks off at 12:30 p.m. Register for that webinar here: https://ag.dtn.com/…

3. Weather elsewhere: The low related to Helene will sit around Kentucky with scattered showers around it until a new front comes through the northern tier of states and pushes it eastward on Tuesday. Another front will move through the country mid to late next week and may produce limited showers across the North-Central U.S. And while the remnants of Helene's power dwindle, we're watching another weather feature developing in the Gulf of Mexico. The storm season is proving to be active, with four named storms, and a fifth strong system that went unnamed, already affecting the Gulf and Atlantic. Rain in the South will boost river levels in some areas, which may help grain movement through harvest season. We'll watch river levels during the week.

4. Brazil still sizzles: Temperatures in Brazil continue to top the 100-degree Fahrenheit level, with little rain in sight. Most of the reported rainstorms have been in the Amazon and other forest areas, not those under crop production. The question is will the delayed corn planting make that crop more susceptible at pollination and grain fill when typical dry weather hits in March through May.

5. Weekly economic reports: Monday, at 8:45 a.m., the Chicago Business Barometer is released. At 10 a.m. we'll have the latest Grain Inspections, followed by the 11 a.m. release of Grain Stocks and Small Grains Summary. At 2 p.m. we'll see the most recent Livestock and Meat Data, then the USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress report at 3 p.m. On Tuesday, reports begin at 8:45 a.m. with the S&P Manufacturing PMI. At 9 a.m., Construction Spending numbers are out, as well as the latest Job Openings report. At 2 p.m. the Commodity Costs and Returns update is released, as well as NAAS' Fats and Oils and Grain Crushings reports. Wednesday the latest ADP Employment numbers are out at 7:45 a.m., and we'll see the 2 p.m. release of the latest Broiler Hatchery figures. Thursday begins with the 7:30 a.m. Grain Export Sales and Initial Jobless Claims reports, followed by 8:45 a.m. release of S&P final Services PMI and the Factory Orders update at 9 a.m. Friday reports also start at 7:30 a.m. with U.S. employment report and Unemployment Rate and Hourly Wages figures. At 2 p.m. we'll see Dairy Products, and the weekly at 2:30 p.m. release of CFTC's Commitment of Traders report.

Bonus DTN content: DTN's Lead Analyst Todd Hultman is coming to the end of a long career in the agricultural markets. His voice will be dearly missed on DTN's Field Posts podcast, around the newsroom, and across the country by the farmers and ag industry leaders who have depended on his even-handed insights for the better part of four decades. But before he rides off into the sunset, Field Posts podcast host Sarah Mock sat down with Hultman for one last episode to hear about the career he's had, what he's learned, and what he sees for the future of ag markets and the sector more broadly.

On the latest podcast, they talk about his early days as a broker and the people who helped shape his common sense view of the market. You can hear about his journey to DTN, and how world and market events -- from commodity crashes to Chernobyl to a global pandemic -- changed the way he thinks about finance, economics, and people in general. He digs into the most surreal and unexpected moments of his career, the times when his crystal ball proved right, and talks about the funniest trade he made as a young broker with a mini soybean meal contract. Then they talk about his outlook for the future -- why watching prices is so important, and his advice for young analysts and for farmers aiming to navigate the hectic trading world.

Finally, they touch on Hultman's retirement, his favorite TED talk, and why artificial intelligence (AI) isn't a good substitute for good analysis.

You can listen to this and other Field Posts podcasts at https://www.dtnpf.com/…, https://www.buzzsprout.com/… and they're also available on podcast hosting sites such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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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