Our friends at BAMWx.com are starting a new weekly series each Wednesday on their YouTube channel, linked here. The series will focus on crops in the Midwest and how weather can impact yields. Those of you in agricultural enterprises in the Ag Belt may find this of value. The image on the right is their first video in the series, which you can watch by clicking this link.
Believe it or not, on top of the wet pattern much of the Ag Belt is in right now, there are some potential freeze and frost risks to be aware of through the first two weeks of May. Beyond the middle of the month, the northern areas of the Ohio Valley may dry up a bit, but Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota may still experience wetter-than-normal conditions, with the northern third of Illinois potentially not being as wet. The video linked above will give you more clarity on the timing and locations, so please be sure to check it out if your business can be impacted by such things.
Here is a quick energy market outlook from Flashpoint’s Darius Lechtenberger: “This morning, WTI crude oil and refined product prices are trying to rebound following yesterday’s sell-off. Economic anxieties are exerting downward pressure on commodities and equities alike. The Fed is set to wrap up its two-day meeting today, with insights into its monetary stance expected by midday. Despite previous hopes for a rate cut in June—fueled by earlier trends suggesting inflation was subsiding towards the Fed’s 2% target—the market is now being cautioned of an interest rate increase. Despite a smaller-than-anticipated increase in inventory this past week, propane prices dropped alongside WTI crude oil yesterday. Prompt propane prices reacted much more bearishly than deferred propane prices.”
