December corn futures rose 1.4% to $5.155 per bushel in Chicago Board of Trade trading on Aug. 24 after USDA’s good-to-excellent corn rating fell to 57% for the week ended Aug. 23, below the 59% market expectation and down from 60% a week earlier. The rating was the lowest for week 34 since 2023. Pro Farmer projected U.S. corn yields at 173.2 bushels per acre and production at 15.344 billion bushels, below USDA’s August estimates of 180.7 bushels and 16.013 billion bushels. U.S. corn export commitments were 24% above last year and had already exceeded USDA’s full-year projection. Soybean ratings also declined to 60% from 61%, while Pro Farmer projected a potentially record soybean yield of 53.3 bushels per acre, above USDA’s 52.7 bushels. Traders will watch USDA’s September supply-and-demand report for possible revisions based on Pro Farmer’s field findings.