Soybeans Rise, Ethanol Falls and Nebraska Faces Fire Risks

Soybean Market

• In the night trade, soybean futures edged up a touch.
• The lift came as soybean meal stayed strong and worries about wet weather in Brazil grew louder, which could delay the crop’s harvest.

Brazilian Weather Outlook

• Rain forecasts for northeastern Brazil predict several inches of water, slowing field work.
• The outlook is that the rains will ease in week two, allowing farmers to finish planting corn and picking soybeans.

EPA Biofuel Guidance

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sent its biofuel blending recommendations to the White House for a final rule due at the end of March.
• The guidance could shape how much ethanol is mixed into gasoline.

Corn Prices

• Corn prices moved up slightly as demand stays firm.
• Colombia ordered a large shipment of U.S. corn for next year, and total exports since September have jumped 30 % year‑over‑year.

Ethanol Production

• Production slipped to about 1.113 million barrels a day last week, down from 1.118 million the previous week.
• The drop was mainly in the Gulf Coast area, while the Midwest saw a small rise.

Ethanol Stocks

• Because of the lower output, ethanol stocks climbed to their highest level in a month, reaching 25.646 million barrels.
• The increase reflects a shift from production to storage.

Nebraska Fire Alerts

• In the heartland, Nebraska’s weather alerts warn of a dry, windy day that could spark fires.
• Red flag warnings cover western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, with gusts reaching 50 mph tomorrow and humidity dropping to around 10 %.

Fire‑Prone Zones

• The National Weather Service highlights the Interstate 80 corridor and the southern Nebraska panhandle as the most fire‑prone zones, where low moisture and strong winds combine to raise danger.