OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of May 31. Watch for coverage of these and other topics throughout the week on our subscription platforms as well as on www.DTNPF.com.
Note that all report release and webinar times are Central Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.
1. Waiting on China: With planting mostly moving along well, markets continue to hang on headlines. The most-watched-for set of characters? One that confirms China will drop tariffs and begin buying U.S. ag commodities.
2. Drought conditions ease: The U.S. Drought Monitor continues to show improvement after widespread rains the past couple of weeks. That shift may slow if June brings a slightly drier period for a lot of the Midwest into next week, allowing a lot of fieldwork to be completed and planting to finish up.
3. Planting stalled in East: Those rains have also stalled out planting from eastern Indiana into the Mid-Atlantic area. The USDA weekly Crop Progress report, due Monday after 3 p.m., will begin to tell if those areas move ahead or if 2026 planted corn acres may be tightening slightly.
4. Brazil turns drier: A few showers in through southern Brazil on Friday leads to drier weather this week, unfavorable for both corn and wheat. This is not unusual for corn, as most areas are fully entrenched in the dry season. But southern wheat areas require fronts moving up from Argentina to supply good moisture during the winter.
5. Reports due this week: Monday at 9 a.m., we'll see the ISM Manufacturing data for May and Construction Spending for April. At 10 a.m. we'll have Grain Inspections numbers followed at 2 p.m. by Fats and Oils and Grain Crushings. At 3 p.m., the USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress update, including DTN analysis of the state reports. Tuesday at 9 a.m. is Job Openings (JOLTS). Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. we'll see ADP Employment numbers, then at 9 a.m. the latest Factory Orders, and at 9:30 a.m., EIA's Weekly Petroleum including ethanol production and stocks. At 1 p.m., the Fed Beige Book is released. At 2 p.m. is Broiler Hatchery data. Thursday at 7:30 a.m. we see a number of reports: Grain Export Sales, Initial Jobless Claims and U.S. Productivity. At 10:30 a.m., the Weekly Economic Index is out. At 2 p.m., Dairy Products and Slaughter Weekly are released. Friday at 7:30 a.m., U.S. Employment Report, Unemployment rate and U.S. Hourly Wages for May come out. At 2 p.m. we'll see the latest Consumer Credit data, then at 2:30 p.m., the CFTC Commitment of Traders report.
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BONUS DTN CONTENT
On our latest DTN Field Posts podcast (Episode 295), DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick gave the very latest forecasts for the 2026 season, including what might be the impact of a Super El Nino summer.
Also, check out podcast Episode 294, as DTN Environmental Editor Todd Neeley discussed whether 2026 will be the year of E15? To help people understand the current situation in the biofuels market, Neeley provided an update on the latest year-round E15 legislation. He also dug into the biodiesel story, including how biofuel priorities are affecting crush margins and how recent updates coming out of the EU might influence soybean demand. Finally, he checked in on the courts, with a discussion on where ongoing lawsuits related to everything from EPA volume announcements to small refinery exemptions currently sit.
You can find DTN Field Posts podcasts at https://dtn.link/…, or https://www.dtnpf.com/… and they're also available on podcast hosting sites such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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