Be prepared for volatility

By Doug Tenney, Leist Mercantile

Jacob recently knocked a 20 oz plastic tub of cat treats from the kitchen table onto the floor. Its resultant noise was my first clue. As I approached the unexpected scene of cat treats scattered everywhere, both Jacob and Lizzie were focused with ferocious intensity, eating as fast as they could and not looking up, just as producers will be focused in the weeks ahead on planting efforts. Meals will be short, and hours will be long for Ohio and U.S. producers as they battle weather and prices to maximize yields and revenue for 2025.

“Be prepared for volatility,” is a quote from the NBC morning consumer report last month. It followed the March 19 U.S. Fed meeting when the announcement of no cuts in U.S. interest rates was not a surprise. The NBC report detailed consumers should expect interest rates to stay high with no cuts in sight.… Continue reading