Organic soybean meal prices have been volatile. Exporters have been providing the Jacobsen a range of prices. Some as low as $630 per metric ton and others as high as $700 per metric ton. The large run-up in Indian soybeans on the NCDEX at this time of year is surprising both exporters and importers. As The-Jacobsen has mentioned in the past, the seasonal climb in prices usually comes at the back end of the season, with rallies coming at the end of the Q1 and into the Q2. This is the first year in the last 5, that prices have run up in October and November. Historically the climb from the trough in October to the peak in April averages 19%.

Biden Administrations Focus on Carbon Reduction

A Biden administration says that they plan to focus on creating a more carbon-friendly agricultural environment. According to a Washington Post article, ideas include a White House National Climate Council that is co-equal to the Domestic Policy Council and National Economic Council. The goal would potentially be to create a carbon bank under the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation that could pay farmers and forest owners to store carbon in their soils and lands. Most of the moves by a new administration would be via executive order that would bypass any fund needed through congress.

Climate risks might also be incorporated into the US corporate mindset. This week, the U.K. became the latest country to announce that it will require companies to report climate risks. Currently, the US Securities and Exchange Commission requires public companies to disclose information about their financial health and can broaden those requirements to include more information about climate risks and preparedness. Starbucks already has created a bonus scenario for executives that is linked to diversity and inclusion. It’s only a matter of time before climate and carbon issues are directly linked to compensation.