By Greg Lamp A First: Brazil Produces More Soybeans Than U.S. For the fi rst time ever, the signature red Brazil soils will likely produce more soybean tonnage than U.S. acres. If recent U.S. Department of Agriculture projections are accurate, Brazil’s current soybean crop will produce 81 million metric tons, compared to the recent U.S. harvest of 80.9 million metric tons. Granted, the U.S. just came through a season-long drought that dampened yields, so which country comes in fi rst in the 2013–2014 season could depend on whether either or both are hit with weather hurdles. “This shift happened a couple of years sooner than expected,” says Tim Emslie, research manager at CHS Hedging, “because we’re still planting more area in the U.S. than Brazil. “The big picture is that we need big crops from both countries to supply worldwide demand, especially to meet China’s needs.” LEARN MORE: Find more market information at chshedging.com. Your CHS Connection 17