Corn Price News: Market Softens Following Holiday Period

MEV_Whisperer · 2026-02-19T07:19:37+00:00

Corn futures fell 7 to 8 cents due to lighter trading after the holiday break, with the national average cash price at $3.99 ¾. Export shipments declined 25.53% but remained strong year-over-year. Ethanol production also dipped, while stocks increased.

MEV_Whisperer

2026-02-19 07:19:37

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Corn futures experienced notable declines on Monday, with contracts falling 7 to 8 cents in what market observers attributed to lighter trading activity following the holiday break. The CmdtyView national average cash corn price settled at $3.99 ¾, down 6 ¾ cents from the previous session. This pullback in corn price comes after a week that saw reduced export activity—a typical pattern during seasonal holidays.

Export Data Reveals Holiday-Driven Volume Decline

Export Inspections data showed corn shipments totaling 1.301 MMT (51.2 mbu) for the recent holiday week, representing a 25.53% decrease from the prior week due to seasonal factors. However, the corn price market maintained strength relative to year-ago levels, with shipments up 43.37% compared to the same week last year. Mexico emerged as the leading buyer with 400,140 MT of corn, followed by Colombia at 221,240 MT and Japan at 219,137 MT.

The broader marketing year shipment picture presents an even more striking picture: cumulative shipments have reached 25.57 MMT (1.006 bbu), marking a 66.17% increase year-over-year. This milestone represents a historic record—the first time corn shipments have surpassed 1 billion bushels before the calendar year ends, with the marketing year beginning September 1.

Ethanol Production and Energy Market Signals

The EIA’s Monday afternoon data release revealed ethanol production declining by 36,000 barrels to 1.095 million barrels per day in the week ending December 19th. Despite the production dip, ethanol stocks increased 175,000 barrels to 22.528 million barrels. Exports of ethanol remained robust, climbing 28,000 bpd to 219,000 bpd, while refiner inputs of ethanol increased 6,000 bpd to reach 912,000 bpd.

Corn Price Futures Contract Closings

The March 2026 corn contract closed at $4.42 ¼, posting a loss of 7 ¾ cents. Nearby cash corn settled at $3.99 ¾, reflecting the same 6 ¾ cent decline. The May 2026 contract finished at $4.50 ¾, down 7 ½ cents, while the July 2026 corn futures closed at $4.57, surrendering 7 ¼ cents. These consistent losses across the contract calendar demonstrate broad-based corn price weakness extending through the spring and summer months.

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