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                Illinois country grain prices were 
				mixed on Friday afternoon, with wheat and corn higher and 
				soybeans sharply lower. 
				 
              
                Dry soil conditions in some areas 
				of the US and Russia supported stronger wheat futures. 
				 
              
                Technical selling and sharply 
				lower soybean meal futures weakened soybean values. 
				 
				In Northern and Western Illinois country grain dealers quoted 
				shelled corn bids mostly 8 to 11 cents higher at 6.50-6.61.
				
				 
              
                Soybean bids traded 33 to 34 cents 
				lower at 13.80-13.89. 
				 
				In Central Illinois country grain 
				dealers quoted shelled corn bids were 9 to 11 cents higher at 
				6.54-6.75. 
				 
              
                Soybean bids were 28 to 29 cents 
				lower at 13.86-14.00. 
				 
				In the Southern part of the state, shelled corn bids were 9 
				cents higher at 6.67-6.86. 
				 
              
                Soybean bids were 33 to 36 cents 
				lower at 13.90-14.12. 
				
				 
              
  
              
                Wheat bids were 39 to 40 cents 
				higher at 6.77-6.97. 
				 
              
                Illinois grains-Grain futures 
				ended mixed, with corn and wheat values sharply higher and 
				soybeans slightly lower. 
				 
              
                Soybean futures had several days 
				of lower closes and funds liquidated some of their long 
				positions in soybeans. 
				 
              
                Prices recovered, but still closed 
				lower for the week. 
				 
              
                Export interest and export sales 
				to China helped to lift soybean futures. 
				 
              
                On Thursday, the USDA announced 
				the sale of 480,000 tonnes of US soybeans to China. 
				 
              
                Sales of US corn to China also 
				helped to lift corn bids this week. 
				 
              
                Wednesday's corn market was given 
				a boost from the sale of 900,000 tonnes US corn to China. So the 
				Chinese purchases were very influential in boosting corn and 
				soybean  
				values this week. 
				 
              
                Wheat futures were supported by 
				gains in the corn and soybeans, plus dry weather conditions for 
				the Australian and Russian crops, but also dry soil conditions 
				are also starting to affect the wheat crop in Kansas. 
				 
              
                According to the USDA's Crop 
				Conditions report, the winter wheat crop placed 60% of the crop 
				in the good to excellent category, which was 3% lower than last 
				week. 
				 
              
                The Kansas crop was lowered from 
				60% in the good to excellent range down to 53%.  
				 
				While the corn planting pace has been very good for Illinois 
				producers this year, it has not been a record pace. 
				 
              
                In 2004 and 2005 as of May the 
				13th, Illinois producers had planted 97% of the state's corn 
				crop. 
				 
              
                According to the USDA's Illinois 
				Weather and Crops report, from the Illinois Field Office  
				in Springfield, Illinois farmers had planted 95% of the crop, 
				compared to 59% last year and 65% for the five year average. We 
				had also reached the 95% planted stage in 2010. 
              
                
				  
              
                There was 76% of the crop emerged, 
				compared to only 19% last year and 35% for the five year 
				average. 
				 
              
                Soybean planting was also ahead of 
				schedule with 44% of the crop planted, compared to 12% last year 
				and the five year average of 21%. 
				 
              
                There was 14% of the crop emerged, 
				compared to 1% last year and 3% for the five year average.
				
				 
              
                The wheat crop has been maturing 
				ahead of the normal pace too. There was 92% of the wheat crop 
				headed, compared to 50% last year and the five year average of 
				48%. 
				 
              
                As of May 13th, there was already 
				20% of the crop turning yellow, compared to less than 1% for 
				last year and the five year average. 
				 
              
                Many country elevators and 
				terminals expect the wheat harvest to be 1 to 2 weeks early  
				this year. 
				 
              
                The wheat tour went through 
				Illinois this week and the Illinois wheat yield was estimated to 
				be 56 bushels per acres for the 2012 crop. 
				 
				The trading in the cash grain market was slow to moderate. Good 
				demand for  
				grain at the gulf points and light farmer selling has combined 
				to add excitement to both the cash corn and soybean basis levels 
				at the river terminals. 
				 
              
                The river basis ended sharply 
				higher for the week. 
				 
              
                At the Central Illinois Soybean 
				Processors cash bids ended 14 to 15 cents lower at 14.41-14.53, 
				with basis 2 to 3 cents higher ranging from +3N to +15N. 
				 
              
                The Central Illinois Corn 
				Processors cash bids were 38 cents higher with bids ranging from 
				6.70-6.85, and basis steady at +45N to +60N. 
				 
              
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                At the Illinois River terminals 
				south of Peoria, cash corn bids ended 45 to 46 cents higher 
				ranging from 6.65-6.73, with basis up 7 to 8 cents at +40N to 
				+48N. 
				 
              
                Cash soybean bids increased 2 to 5 
				cents at 14.45-14.50, with basis gaining 19 to 22 cents to range 
				from +7N to +12N. 
				 
              
                New crop corn bids for October 
				delivery were up 22 to 24 cents to range from 5.06-5.12, with 
				basis up 1 to 3 cents at -22Z to -16Z. 
			 
              
                New crop soybean bids fell 52 to 
				58 cents to 12.87-12.97, with basis mixed -19X to -9X. New crop 
				wheat bids for July 2012 delivery were 57 to 59 cents higher 
				ranging from 6.50-6.58, with basis steady to 2 cents stronger 
				ranging from -8N to option N. 
			 
              
                At the Illinois River terminals 
				north of Peoria, cash corn bids gained 46 cents at 6.61-6.66, 
				with basis up 8 cents at +36N to +41N. 
			 
              
                Cash soybean bids were mixed at 
				14.43-14.46, with basis up 18 to 24 cents to +5N to +8N. 
			 
              
                New crop corn bids for October 
				delivery ended 21 to 22 cents higher at 5.03-5.06, with basis 
				steady to 1 cent higher ranging from -25Z to -22Z. 
			 
              
                New crop soybean bids lost 53 to 
				54 cents to 12.86-12.89, with basis steady to 1 cent lower at 
				-20X to -17X. 
			 
              
                New crop wheat bids were up 56 to 
				57 cents to 6.53-6.55, with basis steady to 1 cent lower at -5N 
				to -3N. 
			 
              
                At the St. Louis terminals cash 
				corn bids were 40 to 46 cents higher at 6.76-6.83, with soybeans 
				down 4 to 6 cents from  
				14.64-14.67. 
			 
              
                Cash bids for Soft Red Winter 
				wheat gained 58 cents to 6.74-6.75, with cash sorghum bids up 39 
				cents to range from 5.92-5.93.  
				 
				In northern and western Illinois, cash corn bids to producers at 
				country elevators were 42 to 45 cents higher at 6.39-6.55, with 
				central Illinois locations up 38 to 39 cents at 6.45-6.64 and in 
				southern Illinois bids  
				gained 41 to 47 cents to range from 6.58-6.75. 
			 
              
                Cash soybean bids in northern and 
				western were down 1 to 10 cents at 14.13-14.23 with central 
				Illinois bids losing 14 to 17 cents to 14.14-14.29 and southern 
				Illinois decreased 13 cents at 14.26-14.45. 
			 
              
                
				  
              
                Cash wheat bids for Soft Red 
				Winter wheat in southern Illinois locations ended 60 to 63 cents 
				higher to range from 6.39-6.58. 
				 
				New crop corn bids to producers at the country elevators in 
				northern and western Illinois were 19 to 20 cents higher to 
				range from 4.83-4.98, with central Illinois locations up 21 
				cents at 4.91-5.06 and in southern  
				Illinois bids gained 22 to 23 cents to 4.99-5.12. 
			 
              
                New crop soybean bids for October 
				delivery in northern and western Illinois were 50 to 53 cents 
				lower at 12.61-12.74, with central Illinois locations down 50 to 
				51 cents  
				to 12.67-12.84 and in southern Illinois bids dropped 52 to 54 
				cents at 12.72-12.93. 
			 
              
                New crop wheat bids for July 2012 
				delivery in southern Illinois ended 61 to 63 cents stronger at 
				6.37-6.66. 
			 
              
                ___ 
              
                Commercial grain prices paid farmers 
				by Interior Illinois Country Elevators after 2.00 p.m. Friday
				are listed below in dollars per bushel: 
				
					| 
					 
					AREA    | 
					
					 
					US 2  
					
					CORN   | 
					
					 
					US 1  
					
					SOYBEANS  | 
					
					 
					 US 2  
					
					SOFT  
					
					WHEAT    | 
				 
				
					| NORTHERN | 
					6.50 - 6.57 | 
					13.80 - 13.86 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| WESTERN   | 
					6.51 - 6.61 | 
					13.81 - 13.89 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| N. CENT. | 
					6.54 - 6.65 | 
					13.86 - 13.95 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| S. CENTRAL | 
					6.67 - 6.75 | 
					13.88 - 14.00 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| WABASH   | 
					6.70 - 6.78 | 
					13.90 - 14.00 | 
					6.77 - 6.83 | 
				 
				
					| W.S. WEST | 
					6.67 - 6.73 | 
					14.00 - 14.12 | 
					6.85 - 6.97 | 
				 
				
					| L. EGYPT | 
					6.72 - 6.86 | 
					13.95 - 14.09 | 
					6.80 - 6.85 | 
				 
			 
			
              
                Central Illinois average price 
			 
              
                Corn: 6.64 1/2 (+29 N) 
				Soybeans: 13.93 (-12 N) 
				 
				CONTRACT BIDS FOR NEW CROP 2012 DELIVERY 
				
					| 
					 
					AREA    | 
					
					 
					US 2  
					
					CORN   | 
					
					 
					US 1  
					
					SOYBEANS  | 
					
					 
					 ***US 
					2  
					
					SOFT  
					
					WHEAT    | 
				 
				
					| NORTHERN | 
					4.94 - 5.07 | 
					12.42 - 12.52 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| WESTERN   | 
					4.95 - 5.04 | 
					12.46 - 12.56  | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| N. CENT. | 
					5.00 - 5.12 | 
					12.51 - 12.63 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| S. CENTRAL | 
					5.01 - 5.15 | 
					12.48 - 12.65 | 
					  | 
				 
				
					| WABASH   | 
					5.09 - 5.17 | 
					12.55 - 12.63 | 
					6.74 - 6.85 | 
				 
				
					| W.S. WEST | 
					5.17 - 5.21 | 
					12.69 - 12.75 | 
					
					 
					6.83 - 6.94  | 
				 
				
					| 
					 
					L. EGYPT  | 
					
					 
					5.17 - 5.18  | 
					
					 
					12.54 - 12.63  | 
					
					  6.83 
					- 6.94   | 
				 
			 
			
			***June/July 2012 Delivery 
			  
			
			Cent. Ill. Average Price at Country 
			Elevators 
				
					| Week of | 
					5/17/2012 | 
					5/10/2012   | 
				 
				
					|   | 
					Price Basis  | 
					Price Basis  | 
				 
				
					| Corn | 
					
					 6.54 1/2 +29 1/2 N  | 
					
					 6.16 28 1/2 N  | 
				 
				
					| Soybeans  | 
					
					 14.21 1/2 -16 1/2 N  | 
					
					 14.37 -18N  | 
				 
			 
			 
			[Text copied from
			USDA-IL 
			Dept of Ag Market News, Springfield]
   
			
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