By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Dec. 28. 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 and webinar times are Central Standard Time unless otherwise noted.

1. Marketing in the new year: Markets will have another abbreviated week, with exchanges silent on Jan. 1. Markets reopen on Friday, and we'll kick off regular coverage starting with our early morning commentaries.

2. Corn exports show strength: The usually quiet Christmas holiday period brought some strength to grain markets. We'll look for support on that as we lead up to the big USDA crop report Jan. 12. Corn exports continue with commitments up 30% from a year ago as of Dec. 4. On the bearish side, noncommercial traders increase short positions in corn, a sign they expect lower prices ahead. As we've noted before, the export strength of corn over soybeans makes for tough planting choices for farmers in the 2026 season.

3. Winter returns: A new weather system moves through Sunday and Monday with strong winds, rain changing to snow, a burst of some colder air, and lake-effect snow. That's followed by a clipper from the north midweek bringing another band of snow and much lower temperatures to much of farm country.

4. International weather: A front stalled across southern Brazil last week, producing widespread and largely beneficial rainfall. Showers have become very isolated over west-central Brazil while east-central areas have been very hot and dry, concerning for soybeans moving into the pod-fill stage. Rain is forecast to move back into these areas next week, though. In Argentina, beneficial rains hit this past week, with a drier stretch moving in this week. Soil moisture is still largely favorable, though levels are falling as corn and soybeans develop. In the Black Sea region, cold air and dryness are troublesome for wheat that went into dormancy in less-than-ideal conditions. Snow is needed to protect against winterkill, and it appears Ukraine is in more favorable conditions for snowfall than is southwest Russia. In Australia, soil moisture is mixed around that country's wheat belt. It has been drier most of this week and only spotty showers are forecast to end the year. Wheat and canola harvest is nearing the end with overall favorable conditions. Meanwhile, cotton and sorghum planting is nearly completed and is finding some unfortunate dryness in a lot of areas, causing stress.

5. Reports due this week: Monday at 9 a.m., Pending Home Sales for November, then at 10 a.m. the latest Grain Inspections data. At 2 p.m., Slaughter Weekly. Tuesday at 8 a.m. we'll see Case-Shiller home price index for October, followed at 8:45 a.m. by the Chicago Business Barometer. At 1 p.m. comes the release of the latest Fed committee meeting minutes. Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. we'll see Initial Jobless Claims. At 9:30 a.m., EIA weekly petroleum status report, including ethanol production and stocks. At 2 p.m., Agricultural Prices and Broiler Hatchery. Thursday, New Year's Day holiday -- no reports. Friday, at 7:30 a.m. we'll see Grain Export sales, then at 2 p.m. Grain Crushing and Fats and Oils data, as well as Weekly Slaughter numbers.

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