Corn Futures Fast Facts

During the last decade Corn has been the leading crop in terms of production and acreage grown. The major producing nation in the world is the United States of America, with over 80% of the production in the United States centered in the mid-western states known as the "Corn Belt": Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Major World Producers and Consumers for 1998/99 Crop Year in million metric tons

Supply

Use

Beginning

Ending

Stocks

Production

Imports

Feed

Total

Exports

Stocks

1998/99 (projected) in Million Metric Ton
World

86.7

592.49

70.96

408.32

581.98

71.3

97.2
United States

33.22

247.94

0.38

142.88

190.13

45.72

45.69
Total foreign

53.48

344.55

70.58

265.44

391.85

25.57

51.51
Major exporters

3.16

20.5

0.85

8.6

13.2

9.2

2.11
Argentina

1.61

14.5

0

4.4

6

9

1.11
South Africa

1.55

6

0.85

4.2

7.2

0.2

1
Major importers

16.57

92.85

45.84

91.6

130.58

11.04

13.65
EU-15

4.38

34.2

10.63

29.42

37.29

8.61

3.3
Japan

1.45

0

16

12.1

16.2

0

1.26
Mexico

1.5

17.5

4.75

7

22.25

0.1

1.4
Southeast Asia

0.94

15.45

2.35

11.63

17.17

0.2

1.38
South Korea

0.5

0.09

7

5.4

7.1

0

0.49
Selected other
China

26

124

0.35

93

117.35

4

29
FSU-12

2.54

5.39

0.76

5.01

7.07

0.3

1.32
Russia

0.56

0.8

0.65

1.15

1.85

0

0.16

* all data gathered from the World Agricultural Outlook Board (WASDE #349)

Usual Planting and Harvest Dates for US Corn

Usual Planting Dates for Corn
(Top 5 producing States)

Planting

Harvest
State Begin Most Active End

Begin

Most Active

End
Iowa Apr 22 May 2 - May 16 Jun 3

Sep 17

Oct 7 - Oct 31

Nov 17
Illinois Apr 22 Apr 30 - May 18 May 28

Sep 24

Oct 9 - Nov 3

Nov 19
Nebraska Apr 21 May 3 - May 19 Jun 1

Sep21

Oct 11 - Nov 6

Dec 1
Minnesota Apr 24 May 3 - May 22 Jun 8

Sep 29

Oct 15 - Nov 12

Nov 28
Indiana Apr 22 May 2 - May 16 Jun 3

Sep 20

Oct 10 - Nov 25

Dec 10

 

Dates based on the December 1997 USDA Agricultural Statistics Board

Usual Planting and Harvesting Dates report

Crop Progress

corn futures crop progress table by the NASS
  • Planted - Sowing of grain or Planting Progress
  • Emerged - As soon as the plants are visible.
  • Silking - The emergence of silk like strands from the end of ears.
  • Dough - Normally half of the kernels are showing dent with dough-like substance in all kernels.
  • Dent - Occurs when all kernels are fully dented and the ear is firm and solid.
  • Mature - Corn is about ready to harvest with shucks opening and there is no green foliage present
  • Harvested -reaping of grain, or Harvest Progress

 

Price Prospective- CBOT Corn Futures Continuos contract monthly data

wpe1C.gif (6159 bytes)
follow this link for current corn futures prices

Seasonal Prospective

wpe1E.gif (5274 bytes)
follow this link for more complete corn futures seasonal charts

Note: 1.0 represents the seasonal high, while 0.0 represents the seasonal low. Based on CBOT December Corn futures settlement prices from 1979 to 1998.

Return to Fast Facts Menu

THE DATA CONTAINED HERE IN ARE BELIEVED TO BE RELIABLE BUT CANNOT BE GUARANTEED AS TO RELIABILITY, ACCURACY, OR COMPLETENESS; AND, AS SUCH ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.  CFEA WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM RELIANCE ON THIS DATA OR THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED HERE IN.

DISCLOSURE OF RISK: THE RISK OF LOSS IN TRADING FUTURES AND OPTIONS CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL; THEREFORE, ONLY GENUINE RISK FUNDS SHOULD BE USED. FUTURES AND OPTIONS MAY NOT BE SUITABLE INVESTMENTS FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, AND INDIVIDUALS SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THEIR FINANCIAL CONDITION IN DECIDING WHETHER TO TRADE. OPTION TRADERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THE EXERCISE OF A LONG OPTION WOULD RESULT IN A FUTURES POSITION.

HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS HAVE MANY INHERENT LIMITATIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED BELOW. 

NO REPRESENTATION IS BEING MADE THAT ANY ACCOUNT WILL, OR IS LIKELY TO, ACHIEVE PROFITS OR LOSSES SIMILAR TO THOSE SHOWN. IN FACT, THERE ARE FREQUENTLY SHARP DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND THE ACTUAL RESULTS SUBSEQUENTLY ACHIEVED BY ANY PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM. 

ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS IS THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY PREPARED WITH THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. IN ADDITION, HYPOTHETICAL TRADING DOES NOT INVOLVE FINANCIAL RISK, AND NO HYPOTHETICAL TRADING RECORD CAN COMPLETELY ACCOUNT FOR THE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL RISK IN ACTUAL TRADING. FOR EXAMPLE, THE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND LOSSES OR TO ADHERE TO A PARTICULAR TRADING PROGRAM, IN SPITE OF TRADING LOSSES, ARE MATERIAL POINTS WHICH CAN ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER FACTORS RELATED TO THE MARKETS, IN GENERAL, OR TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ANY SPECIFIC TRADING PROGRAM WHICH CANNOT BE FULLY ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE PREPARATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS AND ALL OF WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT ACTUAL TRADING RESULTS.