Overview
Using Futures Prices to Forecast the Season-Average Price and Counter-Cyclical Payment Rate for Corn, Soybeans, and Wheat
Farmers and policymakers are interested in the level of counter-cyclical payments (CCPs) provided by the 2008 Farm Act to producers of selected commodities. CCPs are based on the season-average price received by farmers. (For more information on CCPs, see the ERS 2008 Farm Bill Side-By-Side, Title I: Commodity Programs.)
This data product provides three Excel spreadsheet models that use futures prices to forecast the U.S. season-average price received and the implied CCP for three major field crops (corn, soybeans, and wheat). Users can view the model forecasts or create their own forecast by inserting different values for futures prices, basis values, or marketing weights. Example computations and data are provided on the Documentation page.
Spreadsheet Models
For each of the three major U.S. field crops, the Excel spreadsheet model computes a forecast for:
- the national-level season-average price received by farmers and
- the implied counter-cyclical payment rate.
Note: the model forecasts are not official USDA forecasts. See USDA's World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates for official USDA season-average price forecasts. See USDA's Farm Service Agency information for official USDA CCP rates.