Corn Futures Close Monday Up 3–5¢; Cash Corn on Average $4.34¾

Corn futures ended Monday’s session with most contracts up roughly 3–5¢, supported by private export sales and steady cash-market bids. The CmdtyView national average cash corn price rose to $4.34¾ as traders adjusted positions ahead of key monthly reports.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported private export sales that influenced the session. According to USDA notifications, private exporters reported sales of 380,000 metric tons of corn to Mexico, split into 220,000 MT for the 2025/26 marketing year and 160,000 MT for 2026/27. USDA also recorded a private sale of 128,000 MT of 2025/26 corn to South Korea. These flash sale reports are closely monitored by market participants for near-term demand signals.

On a contract basis, nearby-month corn traded higher with May at about $4.60¾ (up ~4½¢), July around $4.75¼ (up ~4¢) and December near $4.97¾ (up ~4¼¢). USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) reported corn export inspections of 1.691 million metric tons for the week ending May 7, a level that reflects active but uneven weekly shipment flows compared with last year.

Crop progress data from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) showed U.S. corn planting at approximately 57% complete and emergence at about 23%, placing planting pace slightly ahead of the five-year average. Faster planting progress tends to ease near-term weather risk premia, but market focus will shift to the May WASDE (World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates) and the forthcoming crop production numbers, which will refine supply, demand and season-ending stock estimates.

Market strategists note that while the private sales provided support, the fundamental outlook remains tied to WASDE revisions, crop development and global demand dynamics. In the coming weeks, continued export confirmations, weather-driven yield signals and the official USDA balance-sheet updates are likely to dictate directional momentum and risk positioning for corn markets.