NASHVILLE, TN – Southern crop prices are projected higher for 2026/27, but producers may still face tight margins and price risk before harvest. Hunter Biram with the University of Arkansas Extension’s Southern Risk Management Center says USDA’s May WASDE shows higher season-average prices for corn, soybeans, cotton, and long-grain rice.
Soybean production is forecast at 4.435 billion bushels, with ending stocks down to 310 million bushels. Corn production is projected at 16.0 billion bushels, with ending stocks falling to 1.957 billion.
Cotton production is expected to be 13.3 million bales, while ending stocks fall to 3.9 million bales. Long-grain rice production is projected at 122.5 million hundredweight, down 20 percent from last year.
Biram says projected prices are up 6 to 16 percent from 2025/26, led by long-grain rice and cotton. Still, breakeven yields remain above the USDA’s national yield expectations for corn, cotton, rice, and soybeans.
Historical patterns show new-crop prices often weaken into harvest, making risk management important.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Higher projected prices help, but producers may still need to protect margins before harvest pressure builds.