Corn futures fell below $4.5 per bushel, hitting a four-week low as easing concerns over fertilizer supply and improving prospects for trade flows weighed on prices. Hopes that disruptions linked to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz could ease have softened input cost fears, though the broader conflict continues to cloud the outlook by keeping fertilizer and fuel prices elevated.
This has forced farmers to reassess planting strategies, potentially reducing input usage and raising risks of lower yields ahead. The USDA signaled that growers intend to scale back corn plantings to about 95.3 million acres in 2026, down from nearly 99 million last year, as high fertilizer costs make corn less attractive compared to soybeans. Analysts warn acreage could be revised even lower as the full impact of the conflict filters through. Ample inventories also continue to cap prices, with US corn stocks rising to roughly 9 billion bushels as of March 1, reflecting strong supplies from prior harvests.
