Corn

Corn across food, feed and fuel

Corn is used in animal feed, food processing and ethanol production. Demand from these activities can respond to different economic conditions, so total consumption is more than a single food-market measure.

The ZC series follows CBOT corn futures in USD per bushel. US-cent source prices are converted to dollars throughout the history and OHLC figures; volume remains a contract count.

Harvests and competition for land

Production depends on planted area, growing conditions and yield. Farmers may compare expected returns with soybeans when choosing acreage. A price move in one crop can therefore influence future supply of another.

Stocks and transport determine availability between harvests. Short-term delivery pressure is different from a lasting change in the amount ultimately harvested.

Ethanol and price comparisons

Ethanol processing links corn with energy markets, but the relationship depends on production costs and co-products. RBOB gasoline supplies context rather than a fixed conversion rule. Compare percentage changes with wheat over the same dates and consider contract rolls before interpreting the charts as equivalent returns.

Updated 2 November 2026