Chicago agricultural commodities mixed

Chicago agricultural commodities closed mixed Friday, with corn and soybean rising and wheat dropping. The most active corn contract for March delivery rose 20.75 cents, or 5.04 percent, to close at 4.3275 dollars per bushel. March wheat lost 15.25 cents, or 2.61 percent, to close at 5.69 dollars per bushel. March soybeans gained 4.75 cents, or 0.37 percent, to close at 12.785 dollars per bushel. March corn rose by a large margin on a bullish U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) final crop and December stock report. The USDA estimated the final 2013 U.S. corn production at 13.925 billion bushels, down 64 million bushels from the November report; U.S. corn yield at 158.8 bushels per acre; and U.S. corn stocks by Dec.1 at 10.426 billion bushels, down 344 million bushels from market expectations. The USDA made no change to U.S. corn exports, but raised ethanol usage by 50 million bushels to 5 billion bushels. March wheat dropped heavily on a bearish USDA report. The USDA put U.S. wheat stocks by Dec. 1 at 1.463 billion bushels, 53 million bushels more than expected; and winter wheat seeding at 41. 9 million acres, down 4.1 percent from expectations. March soybean rose slightly on a neutral USDA report. The USDA estimated U.S. soybean production in 2013 at 3.289 billion bushels; yield at 43.3 bushels per acre, nearly reaching record highs with record yield in eastern and southern U.S. making up for poor growing weather in central U.S.; and U.S. soybean stocks by Dec. 1 at 2.148 billion bushels. The USDA left U.S. 2013-2014 soybean end stocks unchanged at 150 million bushels, but raised U.S. soybean export estimate by 20 million bushels to 1.495 billion bushels. The USDA estimated world soybean end stock at a record high of 72.33 million tonnes.