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Daily Ag Business Briefing, Nov. 6: Soy shipments hit MY high, drought splits the map, WASDE ahead
Soybean shipments posted a marketing-year high, national drought eased while the southern Belt dried, and markets await Tuesday’s WASDE update.
The briefing in 30 seconds
- Grains finished mixed to lower Thursday; livestock futures sold off hard into the weekend.
- USDA Export Sales showed a marketing-year high in soybean shipments even as weekly net sales cooled.
- U.S. drought coverage fell nationally, but the southern Corn Belt and Mid-South got drier.
- Watch WASDE on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and China soybean follow-through.
Friday’s open follows a risk-off grain session, a sharp livestock break and two major Thursday data dumps: Weekly Export Sales and the U.S. Drought Monitor. Here is the farm-business rundown for Nov. 6, 2026.
Markets close
According to Brownfield’s closing report, December corn settled at $4.40, down 4¼ cents; January soybeans at $11.88¼, down 14 cents; and December Chicago wheat at $5.99¼, up ¾ cent. December live cattle closed at $214.40, down $3.60; January feeder cattle at $320.32, down $5.40; and December lean hogs at $55.10, down $2.45.
Brownfield’s wheat wrap said soybeans and corn both took fund and technical selling, with traders still tracking late U.S. harvest and South American planting. Export sales for beans were down on the week but still described as solid, while wheat sales slowed from the prior week’s marketing-year high. Cattle and hogs were pressured by technical selling and weaker cash/wholesale cues, Brownfield’s livestock desk reported, including light Kansas live cattle trade at $218, $6 under the prior week’s weighted averages.
For official settlement tables, use CME Group agriculture markets rather than recopied quotes.
Business items
1. Soybean shipments hit a marketing-year high
USDA FAS Export Sales for the week ended Oct. 29 showed soybean exports of about 2.531 million metric tons — a marketing-year high — even though net sales fell 44% to 1.456 MMT, Pro Farmer and the FAS summary said. China led destinations. Corn net sales were about 1.294 MMT; wheat net sales were 538,000 MT. Full breakdown: our Export Sales story.
2. Drought shrinks on the map, intensifies in the southern Belt
The Drought Monitor (valid Nov. 3) cut Lower 48 drought coverage to about 44% from 49.5%, but Kentucky, Illinois and the Mid-South worsened, Feed & Grain reported. Rice remains highly exposed. Details: our Drought Monitor story.
3. California HPAI cluster keeps expanding
After APHIS confirmed HPAI in a 1.3 million-bird Stanislaus County layer flock on Oct. 28, CDFA has tallied seven state detections since Oct. 5, including a San Benito backyard flock confirmed Nov. 3. Stanislaus County remains under movement restrictions. See our HPAI update.
4. Compact-equipment autosteer priced from $6,000 MSRP
Kubota’s WorkSmart Autosteer brings factory-matched guidance to compact and utility machines, with WAAS at 6–8 inches or a paid inch-level option. Specs and buyer checklist: our equipment guide.
5. Robotic pollination startup raises $13 million
BloomX’s Series A targets blueberry and avocado pollination services that run alongside bees, with a planned U.S. push. Read the ag-tech funding story.
Report calendar / what to watch
- Tuesday, Nov. 10: USDA WASDE supply and demand.
- Thursday pattern: next Weekly Export Sales; watch whether soybean outstanding sales rebuild after this week’s cooler net figure.
- Weather: drier Midwest stretch into mid-November favors harvest finish but offers little drought relief south of I-70.
- Livestock: follow cash cattle trade resurfacing and hog cutout after Thursday’s break.
Earlier this week: Nov. 5 briefing · lender survey · Markets.
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