Strong Corn Exports Offset Softer Global Grain Output

Record pace corn exports are helping stabilize prices despite softer global grain production and ongoing supply competition.

corn crop aerial_adobe stock.png

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — Global coarse grain production for the 2025–26 marketing year is projected slightly lower, but strong U.S. corn exports are providing a key source of support for domestic markets. USDA estimates global coarse grain output at 1.576 billion metric tons, trimmed on weaker corn production in Ukraine, Nigeria, and Canada, partially offset by higher global barley production.

For U.S. corn producers, the most significant adjustment is on the demand side. USDA raised its 2025–26 corn export forecast by 125 million bushels to 3.2 billion, citing robust foreign demand and a historically fast shipping pace early in the marketing year. First-quarter corn exports are now expected to approach 800 million bushels — nearly double the typical seasonal average and the strongest Q1 pace on record.

Reduced Black Sea supplies, logistical challenges, and slower-than-expected shipments from Argentina have constrained export competitiveness. Together, those factors have shifted global buyers toward U.S. corn.

Domestic corn supply projections remain unchanged ahead of final harvest updates, and the season-average farm price is held at $4.00 per bushel.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Record pace corn exports are helping stabilize prices despite softer global grain production and ongoing supply competition.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist
Related Stories
The total value of the U.S. potato crop was $4.60 billion in 2024, representing an 8% decrease from the previous year.
Crop-specific shifts and strong prices highlight the variability of this year’s fruit and tree nut harvest, according to USDA data.
The decline in production marks the second consecutive year of contraction in the U.S. turkey industry.
The USDA noted that peanut edible utilization season-to-date is down 3% on the year, despite overall stocks increasing.
We caught up with Karen Braun, Chief Market Analyst at Zaner Ag Hedge, at the Women in Agribusiness to discuss the data behind commodity trading.
A booming butterfat market is good for some dairy products but threatens efficiency and margins for cheesemakers unless protein levels catch up
Smaller flocks and lower lay rates are pressuring table egg supplies, even as hatchery activity edges higher.
Strong corn exports are anchoring U.S. trade, while soybean sales remain steady, but shipments lag.
Smaller slaughter numbers across beef and pork signal tighter supplies into late 2025, while record-low veal production highlights ongoing structural changes in the sector.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

A rescheduled WASDE, China’s soybean squeeze, barge bottlenecks, and premium beef demand all collide this week — with cash decisions, basis, and risk plans on the line.
China’s grain expansion model may be hitting its limit. Lower prices, high rents, and policy fatigue threaten future output — with ripple effects across global feed and oilseed markets.
America’s love for burgers depends on open markets. Without lean beef imports, prices would skyrocket, crushing demand and destabilizing the beef industry.
High milk production and soft retail demand are squeezing prices and margins — making careful feed and risk management essential through year-end.
Arizona producers are proving that desert farming and water conservation can coexist through technology, reuse, and efficiency — reinforcing both food security and environmental stewardship.
Rabobank’s outlook signals a tightening margin environment, emphasizing the need for cost control, trade stability, and clearer policy signals heading into 2026.