Commodities Market Impact Weather: Favorable Midwest Harvest Conditions

OMAHA (Dow Jones)--Favorable Midwest harvest conditions, mild trends in the Southern Plains, drier and warmer patterns in Brazil, promising shower chances for Argentina, a decreasing rainfall pattern in South Africa, and decreasing cold-weather threats in Ukraine wheat areas are the main weather items for the commodity trade's attention Thursday.

Favorable Midwest Harvest Conditions

The DTN Ag Weather forecast calls for favorable conditions in the Midwest. Drier and a mild temperature pattern will favor livestock transportation. Field conditions for the harvest of corn may improve in areas without snow cover. However, as daytime temperatures reach above freezing at times there could be some mud to deal with.

Mild Trends In Southern Plains

In the Southern Plains, favorable conditions for wheat and feedlots are in place during the next week. Temperatures will not be too cold and there will be no significant snow during this period. Longer range outlooks are more uncertain.


Drier And Warmer In Brazil

For Brazil's crop areas, we see some weak upper level ridging over Paraguay and southern Brazil during the short range period, but not enough to be overly concerned with. Eventually this weak ridge breaks down and more widespread showers develop. In the meantime, most crops will benefit from a drier and warmer trend.

Promising Rain Chances For Argentina

In Argentina, increasing shower activity during the next few days will favor developing crops while causing only minor planting delays.

Decreasing South Africa Rainfall

The next chance for scattered thundershowers appears to be this coming Sunday and Monday. However, overall this pattern does not look as active as it has been. In the short range this is favorable due to recent rains. If this drier trend is real, and if it continues, it may eventually become unfavorable.

Decreasing Ukraine Cold-Weather Threat

The Ukraine weather pattern looks to feature several chances for snow in the southern and eastern crop areas. This will likely provide a protective snow cover for most of the belt within the short range period. This should protect the crop in the event of further cold weather outbreaks.

-By Bryce Anderson can be reached at bryce.anderson@dtn.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
12-17-09 0944ET
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