CoBank

As peak grilling season enters full swing in the U.S., retail meat prices remain elevated but higher prices have done little to slow demand. Learn more from this collaborative webinar recording from Circana, Terrain and CoBank. https://bit.ly/3S1Hpoa

From Bytes to Bucks: Data Center Financing Considerations "When the largest commercial real estate company in the world says power is the No. 1 priority for data center operators — and they’re coming to rural America — we’re all ears. Patrick Lynch, global head of CBRE Data Center Solutions, joins CoBank’s Chris Shaffner and Jackie Bove on this episode of Power Plays to discuss planning, financing, credit, and the related balancing act for electric distribution cooperatives." https://lnkd.in/g_X8vSSS

The Farm Credit System remains the largest source of debt financing for the country’s agricultural sector, according to a new report on farm debt from USDA. Farm Credit accounts for 45% of total farm loans, compared to 35% for commercial banks. However, commercial banks are a larger source of credit than the FCS for non-real estate loans. Other noteworthy statistics from the report include: -- Total farm debt in the U.S. rose 34% to $504 billion in the decade between 2012 and 2021. -- Total debt as a percentage of cash receipts increased from 74% to 109% over the same period. -- The aggregate debt-to-asset ratio for American farmers was 13.6% in 2021, which USDA said “indicates sound financial risk exposure at the sector level.” One issue for the study is that the period it covers concludes prior to start of the Fed’s tightening cycle and therefore does not reflect the impact of higher interest rates over the past two years. Link to report (chart on page 8): https://bit.ly/4cLnsK5

Thank you to staff from CoBank! Last week, their team assembled 400 basic needs kits for people in our community experiencing homelessness. In addition to supplies like soap and a toothbrush, these kits include information about how to contact our 211 Help Center for additional support. Learn how your company can join our work and support our community: bit.ly/4crO6bb

Brazil's currency is causing some major headwinds for U.S. ag commodities. Not only is the U.S. dollar generally strong, but the currency for our major export competitor, Brazil, is weakening (see chart). The USD/BRL exchange rate is now the weakest in two years. This gives Brazilian exports a currency tailwind when competing directly with U.S. commodities: #Soybeans, #corn, #rice, #cotton, and #sugar, to name a few. While each commodity ultimately is traded on its own fundamentals, it's no surprise that prices of each of these commodities Brazil exports have fallen as the BRL has weakened. #grain #oilseeds #agriculture #commodities #OATT CoBank

Happy 4th of July from CoBank! 🎆🇺🇸 Wishing everyone a day of celebration, reflection, and time with loved ones. Let's honor the spirit of independence that defines our nation's resilience and unity. #IndependenceDay

Don’t miss the CoBank Knowledge Exchange #dairy webinar with Terrain: Dairy Productivity is Down… Or is it? Register now for our July 17 webinar. https://bit.ly/3RPthOG

Thank you to CoBank and their amazing Sharing Success Program for various contributions across the country. Across Umatilla Electric Cooperative's service territory, CoBank helped us take care of our community by supporting the: - Blue Mountain Community Foundation, benefitting the Precision Irrigated Agriculture Program at the college. - Stanfield/Echo Little League to add lighting infrastructure at the baseball and softball facilities. - Irrigon Fire and Rescue to support several building improvements. - TruCare Pregnancy Clinic to support outreach activities and materials. As an incredible partner, CoBank has matched nearly $90,000 in contributions across UEC's service territory in the past nine years. Thank you for your partnership, CoBank!

At CoBank, supporting Native and Indigenous communities is a cornerstone of our commitment to inclusive outreach. Recently, our associates had the privilege of participating in the Native Education Forum at Colorado State University, alongside our strong partners in agriculture and education. We're honored to sponsor this immersive college experience, empowering students from multiple states to explore higher education options and agriculture programs. Together with our partners, we're committed to creating pathways to success for future leaders.

There were a lot of corn and soybean acres yet to be planted in last week's USDA-NASS Acreage report. It's normal for some acres to not be planted yet by the time USDA surveys farmers in the first two weeks of June on planted acreage. The Acreage report, though, showed a notable increase over last year with unplanted corn acres tallied at 3.4 million acres, up 35% from last year's 2.5 million, and unplanted soybean acres at 12.8 million, up 55% from last year's 8.2 million. Given the wet conditions and flooding in the northwestern Midwest, what's going to happen to those acres that were reported as unplanted? Some farmers will likely take prevent plant insurance on them. Others will plant them later than desired, which will thereby negatively impact yields. We won't know for sure until USDA-FSA and USDA-RMA data comes in later in the year. Either way, the higher total of unplanted acres this year raises the risk of reduced acreage and/or lower yields for both corn and soybeans. #corn #soybeans #grain #oilseeds #agriculture #commodities #OATT CoBank