Corn Futures Close Higher in August Amid Slight Increase

Corn futures closed higher in August, following a slight increase of 1 to 3.5 cents on the session. This comes as deliveries were issued against September corn on First Notice Day, with 90 contracts issued.

The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price also saw an uptick, rising by 3.5 cents to $4.93.5. The Crop Progress report showed that 62% of the US corn crop had reached the dough stage by August 30, while 62% were dented and 13% listed as mature.

Condition ratings remained steady at 47% in good to excellent condition, with the Brugler500 index slipping another point to 347 on a one-point move from excellent to good. Export Inspections reported corn shipments at 1.496 MMT (58.9 mbu) in the week of August 27, up 13.11% from the previous week and 6.12% above the same period last year.

Mexico was the largest destination for corn exports, with 510,453 MT shipped. South Korea followed closely behind with 264,474 MT, while Japan received 173,086 MT. The marketing year total is now 83.81 MMT (3.299 bbu) of corn exports, which is 25.14% ahead of the same period last year.

AgRural estimates that the Brazilian 2025/26 second corn crop is 96% harvested in the center south region, lagging behind last year's pace. Meanwhile, the 2026/27 first corn crop for that region was planted at a rate of 11%.