Author

Walter Kunisch Jr.

Walter is a commodity analyst whose expertise includes fundamental and quantitative research for grains, oilseeds and livestock with an emphasis on financial market hedging and proprietary trading activities.


Mar 16, 2020

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

With new-crop Dec 2020 corn setting a new life of contract low this week at $3.70, there was seemingly little news to support a quick turnaround. The global coronavirus pandemic, an oil market that is imploding—and, on top of that, an expectation that 2020 U.S. corn supplies will be growing—all seem


Article Grain Marketing

U.S. Pork Exports to China

Mar 02, 2020

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

The U.S. pork export program has always been a viable demand source for the U.S. hog complex. Mexico, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Canada have been consistently reliable import/export markets for U.S. pork. From 2015 until mid-2019, mainland China was importing a steady volume of U.S. pork. Since the


Article Grain Marketing

Brazilian Soybean and Corn Update

Feb 18, 2020

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

A combination of ideal growing conditions and expanded planted acres have helped propel Brazilian soybean harvest projections to near record levels. And Brazilian corn is expected to match the record crop set last year. Brazil’s position as the largest soybean exporter and second largest corn export


Article Grain Marketing

U.S. Corn Becomes Competitively Priced

Feb 12, 2020

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

For most of the 2019/20 marketing year, U.S. corn and soybean export values have been uncompetitive in the global export market. A strong dollar combined with bumper corn crops in Argentina, Brazil and Ukraine have worked against and slowed U.S. exports for most of the current marketing year. Over t



Report Grain Marketing

FBN Analysis of January 10 WASDE Report

Jan 14, 2020

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

At Farmers Business Network℠ , we believe that the January 10 WASDE report was neutral to slightly bearish for corn and soybeans as the pre-report estimates were looking for larger reductions in the production and ending stocks figures than the USDA reported. We believe that the USDA’s all-wheat an


Article Grain Marketing

Congress Reinstates Biodiesel Tax Credit

Dec 30, 2019

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

The soybean oil futures curve has appreciated since the beginning of December and has been led by the January contract, which has risen by 13 percent to its highest level in a year. The contraction of vegetable oil supplies in Indonesia, Malaysia, the EU and Australia have helped provide some suppor



Dec 09, 2019

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

Unrelenting large weekly production runs, record-level stocks, compressed industry-wide margins and meddlesome politics in Washington, D.C. contributed to largely negative effects on U.S. ethanol for most of the 2018/19 marketing year. By late summer, the industry started to take necessary steps tow


Nov 26, 2019

by Walter Kunisch Jr.

Despite the prospect of tighter corn and soybean crops, the number of cattle, hog and broilers in the U.S. have continued to expand during 2019. Livestock expansion in the U.S. has been consistent and aided by positive producer margins amid low input costs, a strong demand structure and superior ani