Commodity Price Level and Price Volatility

Commodity prices are ever changing, due to continuously shifting market information. Both the price level and amount of volatility change over time. Looking at futures prices can immediately inform us of the current price level , and yes it is up - way up since just last year. It takes a few more calculations to determine the level of price volatility. In this short article I look at the corn market to analyze the relationship between overall price levels and price volatility; I also compare the current relationship to past situations. Identifying the level of price volatility or risk in the corn market coupled with current price levels can assist producers in making marketing decisions. High prices with low volatility could be taken as a sign that prices may not move much over the next few months. High prices with high volatility could be taken as an indicator of more future price swings. Producers wanting to sell grain in periods of high volatility must be prepared to pull the trigger when price expectations are met. In this analysis I use weekly averages of corn prices in the Illinois cash market from the 1992/93 crop-year to the 2010/11 crop-year. While using weekly averages hides the day-to-day variation it does show variation between weeks. Yearly averages are computed by taking the average of weekly prices. Price volatility is analyzed using the standard deviation. The standard deviation measures the amount of variability around the average. A higher standard deviation implies more variability and consequently more risk. The opposite is true of a lower standard deviation. Ideally, price averages are high and the standard deviation of price (volatility) is low. If we graphically portray the price average and volatility each year, values in the upper left hand zone are preferred (high price with low volatility) (Table 1). Points further to the right represent years that show higher volatility, while observations higher on the vertical-axis correspond to higher prices. Three crop years, 2006/07, 2008/09, and 2009/10 saw higher price averages and lower standard deviations. Conversely, in no years were price averages low and standard deviations high. In the most recent five crop-years, three have seen higher-than-normal average price and low standard deviations, while the other two saw higher average prices and record high standard deviations. Notably, the most recent crop year, 2010/11 has had a record high average price and second largest standard deviation. Producers should consider this information in developing their 2011/12 marketing plan. In times of high volatility the producer needs to be ready to pull the trigger when prices hit pre-determined goals because they may not stay there long. Prices could very well go higher than expectations and this can be handled by selling in smaller percentages, not being over-run with emotion from selling at lower prices when prices keep rising, and ready to make additional sales as prices rise. Higher volatility implies higher highs and lower lows. Producers need an exit plan to handle lower prices. This can be addressed by using decision dates in making sales. If your price expectation is not met by a certain date you make the sale at the current cash price.

Figure 1. Price per Bushel vs. Standard Deviation for Corn Price from 1992/93 to 2010/11.

2011 Corn Hybrid Trials

Chad Lee, Extension Agronomist, University of Kentucky

The 2011 Kentucky Corn Hybrid Performance Test is now available online. The test is also linked at the Corn Testing Website. The multiple location average is the best overall indicator for hybrid performance for next season. Look at hybrids that performed near the top (with one least significant difference of the top-yielding hybrid). Hybrids from several companies and hybrids containing several genetic packages did well. Compare the university data to other hybrid tests from independent sources.

The 2011 Corn for Silage Performance Test is also available. This test reports hybrid performance (forage yield and forage quality) for two locations. Again, the multiple location average is the best indicator for hybrid performance for next season.

Late Planting but Early Harvest

Chad Lee, Extension Agronomist, University of Kentucky

Farmers in Kentucky completed corn harvest and had about 95% of the soybeans harvested according to the October 31 USDA Crop Progress Report. While harvest this year seemed late, especially with a late planting schedule, both corn and soybean harvests are ahead of schedule. The five-year averages are 91% and 69% for corn and soybeans, respectively. (University research plots were not included into these numbers!)

The Midwestern states of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana are above 92% harvested for corn and above 97% harvested for soybean. Ohio is not as far along with 89% corn and 96% soybean harvested. Like Kentucky, all of these states are ahead of schedule for harvest.

Yields from the combine have been all over the board. One farmer said that he harvested his best corn ever and his worst corn ever... in the same field. Over the next few weeks, we will get a much better picture of how harvest finished. The overall shorter growing season would imply yields below trend, but the most recent estimates for yield were increased some. 

2011 Corn Hybrid Trials, Preliminary Report

Chad Lee, Extension Agronomist, University of Kentucky

The 2011 Preliminary Results for the Corn Hybrid Trials are available here. The trials include tables for Early, Medium, Late and White hybrids. There are annual, 2-year and three-year summaries for most tests. Be sure to only compare one hybrid to another in a single test.

The final report will be coming soon and will be posted to the Corn Hybrid Testing website.

2011 Wheat Yield Contest Winners

Chad Lee, Extension Agronomist, University of Kentucky

The 2011 Kentucky Extension Wheat Yield Contest winners are reported below. The top overall yield was 112.07 bushels per acre reported by Double P Farms in Todd County. The top no-till yield was 107.53 bushels per acre submitted by Duncan Gillum.

Fall 2011 Wheat Planting Decision

Greg Halich, Extension Economist, University of Kentucky     

(Edited 10/04/11)

Kentucky grain farmers in some parts of the state have been harvesting corn for a few weeks now and they will soon need to decide how much wheat to plant this fall.  In Kentucky, wheat is almost always planted in the fall following harvest on corn ground, and then double-cropped with soybeans in early summer after the wheat harvest.  This allows for two crops in one year.  However, soybeans planted after the wheat harvest are more susceptible to summer drought, so on average, yields are lower for these double-cropped soybeans.  In Kentucky, this yield reduction typically averages around 20%, but in many years there will be no yield difference due to weather.

Simazat Fall Applications and Atrazine Stewardship

Jim Martin, J.D. Green, and Bill Witt, Weed Specialists, University of Kentucky

On July 14, 2011 the EPA approved a supplemental label for using of Simazat (a premix of atrazine and simazine) for fall applications to control winter-annual broadleaf weeds prior to next year’s corn crop. The recently approved label is the only one that allows the use of atrazine in the fall in Kentucky. A lot of resources have been invested over a period of several years defending the registration of atrazine. In order to maintain atrazine as a viable option for weed management in Kentucky, it is important that applicators are not complacent in regards to its potential impact on the environment. Label restrictions concerning Simazat’s use near ground and surface waters are particularly important when it is applied in the fall.  Highly erodible fields with little to no vegetation, or residue cover, are especially at risk of movement of atrazine or simazine from the treated area. Certain watersheds, including portions of the Green River and Rough River are being monitored for atrazine and simazine. It is also important to consider the rate of atrazine and simazine. The recommended rate for fall applications is 2.5 pt of Simazat 4L/A. This is equivalent to 0.625 lb ai atrazine/A plus 0.625 lb ai simazine/A for a total amount of 1.25 lb ai/A. If Simazat is applied in the fall, do not exceed 2.5 pt Simazat 4L/A preemergence the following spring. When tank mixing or sequentially applying products containing atrazine and/or simazine, the cumulative amount of active ingredient of atrazine and/or simazine per calendar year must not exceed 2.5 lb ai/A.  If using the Simazat 90DF formulation, consult label for the maximum use rates.