The best price in a year: soybean sales accelerated and there is still $ 11 billion in grain to be marketed

Sales of soybeans accelerated in recent days, driven by improved prices that reached one of the best levels in dollars for the crop in the past year. The volume traded surged from an average of 148,000 tons per day to 312,000 tons over the last three trading sessions, more than doubling. According to specialists consulted, from the 2025/26 campaign, which is estimated to have produced 49.5 million tons, 24.7 million tons already have defined prices, and after subtracting the portion reserved for seed, approximately 23 million tons remain to be sold. At current prices, this remaining volume represents around $11 billion. The surge in sales also affects corn, with 32 million tons registered for export against a potential of 45 million tons, and August's registration being the second highest in history. According to data from Javier Preciado Patiño, an expert in agropeculiar markets, the FOB price of soybeans, meaning the reference value for exports, paid once the commodity is placed on a ship, rose to $478 per ton. After deducting export rights, producers receive about $355 per ton, compared to $341 at the beginning of August. For the first part of the month, the value increased by $14, roughly 4%, marking a larger difference compared to August of the previous year, when it hovered around $300. Today’s price is nearly 20% higher than that. Preciado Patiño noted that there is clear international interest in Argentine soybeans. He stated that the $355 received by producers currently falls within the highest values of the last twelve months. "We are in the best prices of the last year, and even more so considering the zero retention rates in September of the previous year," he added. He emphasized that this improvement "moves sales forward." Adding to this, he pointed out the smaller gap between different exchange rates. "Today, unlike before, there is practically no gap between the dollar, meaning you can sell, turn around, and stay in dollars comfortably," he remarked. According to Bruno Todone, a grain analyst at AZ-Group, between Monday, August 17, and Friday, August 21, 1.15 million tons of soybeans were negotiated, including operations with fixed prices and those "to be fixed" (sales closed in quantity, but with the final price yet to be determined based on market evolution). Based on records from SIO-Granos, a platform that centralizes such operations between producers, storage facilities, and exporters, these figures represent about 500,000 tons more than the previous week. Despite the acceleration in sales, a significant volume still remains unsold. Preciado Patiño indicated that from a harvest of 49.5 million tons, 24.7 million have defined prices, leaving approximately 23 million tons to be sold. "In terms of money, in soybeans, at today's price, that amounts to around $11 billion," he specified. This calculation does not include the stock carried over from the start of the campaign, so the available amount could be higher. Lorena D'Angelo, a markets analyst at AZ-Group, agreed that producers took advantage of the price increase to make deals. "Sales of soybeans were triggered because the available soybean price reached $350 or surpassed it at some point, and since many producers have soybeans, they seized the opportunity," she explained. However, experts noted that not everything is due to price alone. Some producers need to sell to cover expenses for the new campaign. Todone mentioned that part of the soybeans being sold is intended to pay rent for the 2026/27 campaign and settle purchases made earlier.