Group 1 - Corn futures are showing mixed performance, with nearby contracts steady to a penny lower and deferred contracts fractionally higher, while the national average cash corn price is down to $3.86 [1] - Export inspections data indicates that corn shipments totaled 1.484 million metric tons (MMT) for the week ending January 15, reflecting a decrease of 1.35% from the previous week and 3.81% from the same week last year, with Mexico being the top destination [2] - Managed money in corn futures and options increased their net short position by 65,348 contracts as of January 13, bringing the total net short to 81,774 contracts, marking the largest short interest since October [3] Group 2 - AgRural reports that the first Brazilian corn crop is 1.6% harvested and the second crop is 1.1% planted, while ANEC estimates Brazilian corn exports for January at 3.45 MMT, an increase of 0.18 MMT from the previous week [4]

Core Insights - Corn futures increased by 2 to 3 cents across most contracts, indicating a firming trend in the market [1] - Export inspections revealed that 1.6 million metric tons (MMT) of corn were shipped in the week ending October 2, marking a 3.94% increase from the previous week and a 68.74% increase year-over-year [1] - The top destinations for corn exports included Mexico (457,117 MT), Japan (231,859 MT), and Spain (207,861 MT) [1] - Total marketing year shipments reached 6.709 MMT, which is 56.06% larger compared to the same period last year [1] Crop Progress and Conditions - The USDA's Crop Progress report was not published due to a government shutdown, but the trade anticipated that corn harvest would be approximately 29% complete as of Sunday, with 65% of the crop rated as good/excellent, a decrease of 1% from the previous week [2] Brazilian Corn Market - AgRural reported that 40% of the Brazilian first corn crop was planted as of Thursday, compared to 37% during the same week last year [3] - Brazilian corn exports in September totaled 7.56 MMT, reflecting a 10.43% increase from August and a 17.77% increase year-over-year [3] - Closing prices for corn futures were as follows: December 25 at $4.21 3/4 (up 2 3/4 cents), March 26 at $4.38 1/4 (up 2 1/2 cents), and May 26 at $4.47 1/4 (up 2 cents) [3]