By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Aug. 23. 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. Checking the crop: We'll continue to watch progress of this 2026 corn and soybean crop, as field reports continue to talk about issues such as poor pollination and other concerns brought on by that intense hot, dry period for much of the country in July. We'll look at the USDA NASS weekly Crop Progress report Monday afternoon, and comparing that to the comments analyst Joel Karlin makes in his recent Fundamentally Speaking column here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

2. Preharvest bulls: Markets continued to push higher this past week, and our analysts will watch for signs of continued bullishness, particularly in corn. Upper pressure could remain until we start to see the combines roll in the central Corn Belt.

3. U.S. weather: The stalled weather boundary that led to the heavy rainfall and flooding during the past weeks is shifting a more sweeping activity across the Midwest that can still bring rain. We're also seeing the rain pattern shift more southerly, which will help dry areas but could hamper harvest in the South.

4. Mexico border opens: On Monday, we expect cattle to renew moving across the U.S. southern border, starting with the Douglas, Arizona, port of entry. The border has been closed since May 2025 due to New World screwworm. Entry ports at Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and Columbus, New Mexico, are expected to open soon after. The first case of NWS was detected in the U.S. on June 3, 2026.

5. Reports due this week: Monday at 10 a.m., Grain Inspections. At 2 p.m., Chicken and Eggs report, then at 3 p.m., the weekly USDA Crop Progress report with DTN analysis. Tuesday at 8 a.m. the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index. At 9 a.m. New Home Sales and Consumer Confidence then at 2 p.m., Poultry Slaughter. Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., Durable Goods Orders for July, Second estimate of GDP and Personal Income and Spending and PCE Price Index for July. At 2 p.m., Broiler Hatchery and U.S. and Canadian Cattle and Hogs report. Thursday at 7:30 a.m., Grain Export Sales, Initial Jobless Claims, Advance Trade Balance for July, Wholesale and Retail Inventories. At 10:30 a.m., Weekly Economic Index and at 2 p.m., Slaughter Weekly. Friday at 8:45 a.m., Chicago Business Barometer. At 2:30 p.m., CFTC's Commitment of Traders report.

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