With a wet Spring planting season, farmers have worked faster that ever to get their crops planted in fields across the state. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Public Information Officer Keith Todd talks about farm equipment on the highway, the number of farm related crashes, the need for drivers to be courteous to farmers and for farmers to return the favor.

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Tuesday, May 22, is Primary Election Day in Kentucky. Secretary of State Alison Grimes talks with host Alan Watts about the races on the ballot, the number of new registered voters, the importance of each vote and the critical role of poll workers across the state.

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Corn and soybean futures closed lower with the soy complex leading the way down. Corn and soybeans tried to move higher when markets reopened at 830 am CT, but heavy selling hit the market right away.  Cattle futures closed lower for the third straight day as cash feedlot prices soften, as did boxed beef prices today.

CBOT futures recovered from early morning losses to post mostly higher closes. The positive closes resulted from sharp gains in the last hour of trading. With follow-through selling from Monday’s sharp losses, cattle futures closed sharply lower. Two-day losses total $4-$5/cwt. US Treasury yields rose sharply today, which led to a marked rise in the US Dollar Index. 

CBOT futures closed mixed after spending the overnight hours lower. However, as the market opened at 830 am CT, CBOT futures rallied sharply into the 11 am hour.  Cattle futures gapped down on the open and closed sharply lower with the nearby June LC contract settling down the daily $3.00/cwt limit. The market was pressured by Friday’s disappointing cash trade.

CBOT futures closed mixed following the midday USDA report which updated their supply/demand estimates for 17/18 and 18/19. Cattle futures closed higher and near the day’s highs, which were in the last half-hour of trading. June Live Cattle was very strong today, trading to a new high for this April-May rally and closing at its highest level since March 22.

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The work requirement included in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the 2018 Farm Bill is continuing to generate quite a bit of discussion in Congress.  Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue explains the work requirement, what it will do and who will be affected by it if the 2018 Farm Bill becomes law.

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