Top 5 Things to Watch         07/19 04:53

   Top 5 Things to Watch: Cooling Temps, House Bills Heat Up

   Both the U.S. and Europe will see a break from searing temperatures, while 
House committees pick up the reconciliation bill that includes the latest Farm 
Bill draft.

By DTN Staff

   OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for 
the week of July 19. Watch for coverage of these and other topics throughout 
the week on our subscription platforms and at http://www.DTNPF.com.

   Note that all report release times are Central Daylight Savings Time unless 
otherwise noted.

   1. Weather Forecast Firms Up: Forecasts have been hard to nail down as model 
runs have shown disagreement recently. The U.S. and European models are finally 
coming together on temperatures, as the European model has finally caught up to 
the cooler air this week. A cold front will likely stall out somewhere in the 
Central and Southern Plains. Temperatures will remain above normal south of the 
front, but are expected to be milder in the north. Areas around the front could 
see some periods of showers and thunderstorms. Additional disturbances moving 
southeast through the country could contribute to isolated showers. For the 
latest, see here: 
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/blogs/ag-weather-forum/blog-post/2026/0
7/17/heat-wave-coming-end-limited-western

   2. Markets Shift: Weather conditions continue to drive traders' actions, 
while both the U.S.-Iran and Russia-Ukraine conflicts add to market direction. 
Traders are also watching for additional Chinese soy purchases.

   3. Farm Bill Bait: With Farm Bill language inserted into the House 
reconciliation bill, we'll be watching how that package works its way through 
the Budget and Rules committees. Farm aid has been scaled back to $12 billion, 
but a sticking point is that legislation is joined in the reconciliation 
package by the so-called SAVE Act, the controversial effort to put more federal 
control on state election procedures. Multiple attempts to get SAVE, which 
restricts many common voting procedures, onto the House floor have failed. Are 
prospects of a Farm Bill -- we haven't had a completely new one for almost a 
decade -- and other reconciliation measures the bait to get members to switch?

   4. World Weather: The corn harvest across south-central Brazil continues to 
advance and is doing so in relatively good condition. Another front will move 
in with more southern showers into next week, favorable for vegetative wheat. 
In Argentina, while fronts have been moving through recently, showers that 
would help growing wheat have been absent. More of the country could use some 
rain for vegetative winter wheat. A front should bring more widespread 
precipitation this week. A system in Europe will bring showers and cooler air 
to the continent, which has seen deadly heat. Despite the showers, temperatures 
are still forecast to remain above normal in western Europe, making for tough 
conditions for corn and other summer crops. That system in Europe will slowly 
pulse through the region, providing plenty of rainfall through Ukraine. 
Temperatures will be mild there but a bit warmer in western Russia. Showers 
could disrupt the remaining wheat harvest.

   5. Reports Due This Week: Monday at 9 a.m., Leading Economic Indicators data 
is out. At 10 a.m., Grain Inspections, then at 2 p.m., Chicken and Eggs. At 3 
p.m., we'll have the latest Crop Progress report, along with DTN analysis. 
Tuesday there are no reports scheduled. Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., EIA weekly 
petroleum status report, including ethanol production and inventory. At 2 p.m., 
Broiler Hatchery data. Thursday at 7:30 a.m., Grain Export Sales and Initial 
Jobless Claims numbers. At 10 a.m., the KC Fed Survey. At 10:30 a.m., Weekly 
Economic Index, then at 2 p.m., Livestock Slaughter and Slaughter Weekly 
reports. Friday at 8:45 a.m., U.S. Flash Manufacturing and Services PMIs, 
followed by the 9 a.m. release of New Home Sales numbers. At 2 p.m., Cattle on 
Feed, Poultry Slaughter and Farm Production Expenditures. At 2:30 p.m., CFTC's 
Commitment of Traders report.

   You can find DTN Field Posts podcasts at 
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1019197/episodes, or 
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/videos/field-posts-podcasts and 
they're also available on podcast hosting sites such as Apple Podcasts and 
Spotify.

   Watch for the latest news at http://www.dtnpf.com, and follow and like our 
Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/dtnprogressivefarmer. You can find our 
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