By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Aug. 30. 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 times are Central Daylight Time unless otherwise noted.

1. Trade questions: Trade with our northern neighbor grows cold just as we've reopened the southern border to livestock from Mexico. And then there's the little matter of 300,000 metric tons of mystery beef possibly coming to a burger joint near you. We'll be looking for critical information on all those fronts.

2. Preharvest bulls: Corn prices continue to bubble up with every publicly announced national yield estimate, just as the combines get rolling. Will the Sept. 11 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, which we'll cover live as always, add more forage to the bulls?

3. U.S. weather: Though much of the Corn Belt got a break from the heat, it will return this weekend as the ridge shifts more toward the southern tier of the country and spreads out through the Southeast this coming week. The ridge could extend into the Midwest and Northeast for a period as well. At the same time, an upper-level trough of low pressure will set the table for additional upper-level disturbances to move on the northern edge of that ridge through the first week of September. With lots of heat and humidity across the south to tap into, and plenty of disturbances to kick off showers and thunderstorms, this creates a sort of "ring of fire" presentation on the northern edge of the ridge for multiple days. Clusters of thunderstorms will have the potential to produce hail and strong wind gusts. Areas hit repeatedly by storms could see flooding, and the dreaded word "derecho" -- is possible. See more on that in Ag Weather Forum, https://www.dtnpf.com/….

4. South America preps for planting: Southern Brazil has had frequent showers in recent months, favorable for developing winter wheat and adding soil moisture ahead of spring planting. Another front should bring favorable rainfall into this week. That front may continue northward into central Brazil with some early showers ahead of the wet season. Fronts could start to do that before the daily showers begin in about a month. Looking far ahead, the strengthening El Nino is largely unfavorable for central Brazil, which could impact both soybean and corn production in the coming year. In Argentina the recent cold snap led to some frost, though that likely spared winter wheat as it is still vegetative. However, the lack of significant rainfall is a little more concerning as wheat growth starts to accelerate over the next month. Only limited showers are in the forecast going into early September.

5. Reports due this week: Monday at 10 a.m., Grain Inspections. At 2 p.m., Agricultural Prices and Egg Products report. At 3 p.m., Crop Progress, including DTN analysis. Aug. 31 is also the official last day of the 2025 crop year for U.S. and Canada corn and soybeans. Tuesday at 8:45 a.m., U.S. P.M.I for August. At 9 a.m. Construction Spending and Job Openings (JOLTS). At 2 p.m., Fats and Oils and Grain Crushings. Wednesday at 7:15 a.m., ADP National Employment for August. At 9 a.m., Factory Orders. At 9:30 a.m., EIA's weekly petroleum report, including ethanol production and stocks. At 1 p.m., Federal Beige Book. At 2 p.m., Broiler Hatchery. Thursday at 7:30 a.m., Grain Export Sales, Initial Jobless Claims and U.S. Trade Balance for July. At 8:45 a.m., U.S. Services P.M.I. At 10:30 a.m., Weekly Economic Index. At 2 p.m., Dairy Products and Slaughter Weekly. Friday at 7:30 a.m., Employment report for August and Unemployment Rate for August, along with the Average Hourly Earnings data for August. At 2:30 p.m., CFTC's Commitment of Traders report.

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