TOP STORIES: 



  Corn Prices Jump on Typhoon Damage in China 


  Corn for December delivery rose 1.3% to $3.65 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade Thursday, in reaction to flooding in China expected to hurt the country's corn crop -- and potentially open the door for larger U.S. corn purchases. Wheat for December delivery rose 0.8% to $5.48 1/4 a bushel. Soybeans for November delivery fell 0.1% to $9.77 1/2 a bushel. 


  Flooding in China from Typhoon Haishen soaking already-saturated soil lifted U.S. corn futures Thursday. "If the Chinese crop is smaller than expected, they could become a massive importer of corn this year," said RJO Futures. "Traders await any news on potential China production losses due to the typhoon rains in the past three weeks which have left flooding issues as a problem." 


  Kroger's Tech Bets Fell Short During Coronavirus 


  Kroger Co. has spent years -- and hundreds of millions of dollars -- investing in technology to give it a digital edge in the grocery business. But when the coronavirus changed customers' buying habits overnight, the grocery chain wasn't as ready for the online shift as some of its competitors. 


  The nation's biggest grocer, Kroger has poured money into projects ranging from a self-driving grocery delivery robot to a partnership to sell goods in China through Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. It also bet that a delivery model using remote fulfillment centers, popular in Europe, would resonate stateside. Yet, when the pandemic sent a tsunami of customers ordering groceries online for the first time, it was unable to meet higher demand. 


  Brazil Raises 2019-2020 Soybean and Corn Production Estimates 


  SAO PAULO--Brazilian crop agency Conab raised its estimates for soybean and corn production for the 2019-2020 growing season as good weather boosted productivity. 


  Brazilian farmers produced a record 124.8 million metric tons of soybeans this season as the country pushed past the U.S. to become the world's biggest producer of the oilseed, the agency said Thursday. In August, the agency forecast a crop of 120.9 million tons for 2019-2020, for which harvesting has finished. Brazil produced 119.7 million tons of soybeans in 2018-2019. 


  STORIES OF INTEREST: 


  Ethanol Inventories Show Big Decline -- Market Talk 


  12:21 ET - Running counter to expectations that they'd grow, US ethanol inventories fall sharply this week--declining by 889,000 barrels to 19.9M barrels, according to the EIA. It's the lowest they've been since early August, which is the last time they dipped under the 20M barrel mark. Meanwhile, production rises 19,000 barrels per day, to 941,000 barrels per day. That's the highest production since late July.  (kirk.maltais@wsj.com; @kirkmaltais) 


  Limoneira Sees Better Pricing Ahead For Lemons -- Market Talk 


  15:46 ET - Mark Palamountain, finance chief at Limoneira, told investors yesterday that the ag firm--focused on citrus and other crops--expects steady increases in fresh-lemon prices for the rest of 2020 as bars and restaurants reopen. Such locations make up the bulk of demand for lemons in the US, per analysts at Stifel, and closures tied to the Covid 19 pandemic have challenged Limoneira this year. Overall, prices for lemons dropped to $17.91 from $19.09 a carton year over year for the company's F3Q. With foodservice outlets closed, there were fewer places to sell lower-quality lemons, which are typically absorbed by the sector, CEO Harold Edwards added. Shares up 8.2% in afternoon trading. (micah.maidenberg@wsj.com; @MicahMaidenberg) 


  THE MARKETS: 


  Benefits for US Pork Push Futures Higher -- Market Talk 


  15:14 ET - Lean hog futures on the CME finish up 4.9% to 64.375 cents per pound. It's the highest that hog futures have traded since early May, driven mostly by the discovery of African swine fever in a wild boar carcass in Germany--which caused South Korea to quickly shut its doors to German imports. "South Korea has already stepped forward to ban German pork imports and others will likely follow," says Karl Setzer of AgriVisor. "Thoughts are this will add demand for US pork to an already record volume." Meanwhile, live cattle futures finish trading up 0.4% at $1.051 per pound. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com; @kirkmaltais)