Organic corn prices remain heavy, and the coming harvest will likely further weigh on organic corn prices. The potential damage to crops in Iowa will likely be offset by a bumper crop in Minnesota according to Merchandisers. Organic corn prices are hovering near the $6.50 level, with bids closer to $6 picked up at the farm.

There is a plethora of organic corn that is still in bins ahead of the new-crop season. The Jacobsen currently sees the organic corn carryover at 3.3 million bushels with less than 2-months before the completion of the old-crop season. There have been few contracts for new-crop reported recently and for prices to retrace back to the $7-handle could be a challenge.

Organic Animal Proteins Take a Large Piece of the Pie

The decline in organic corn prices comes despite rising demand for organic animal proteins (organic chicken, organic eggs, organic dairy) sold at supermarkets, and big-box stores are has grabbed a larger piece of the pie according to The Jacobsen.

Despite this upward trend, there has been little upward movement driving organic prices.  While food services continue to suffer and the supply chain remains fragmented, supermarkets and big-box stores are thriving.

In its latest financial report, Target reported that its private-label grocery brand, Good & Gather, hit $1 billion in sales after launching in September of 2019. Same-store sales surged year over year rising a robust 20%. At Walmart, E-commerce business jumped 97% year over year, boosted by people ordering groceries online to pick up at store parking lots. Both Walmart and Target carry a wide array of organic milk, organic cheese, organic butter, and yogurt, along with organic chicken and organic chicken eggs.

Organic animal proteins sold at grocery stores are taking a larger part of the overall pie, rising to 7% on average in the Q2. This compares to approximately 5% in 2018 and 5.5% in 2019. The upward trend should continue to perpetuate as more products become available.

Despite the drop in organic corn prices, organic soybean prices continue to remain buoyed as demand remains strong and supply is still scarce.