Corn futures closed out the Thursday session with contracts up 3 to 4 ½ cents in the front months. First notice day for September is on Friday. The CmdtyView national average Cash Corn price was up 1 3/4 cents at $3.66 1/4.

The market will be closed on Monday due to the Labor Day holiday, with a normal open on Monday night for the Tuesday session. 

USDA Export Sales data showed net reductions of just 17,797 MT in the week ending on August 21, an improvement from last week and within estimates of net reductions of 200,000 MT to 150,000 MT in sales. That is not uncommon for this late in the marketing year.  New crop business was on the higher side of the trade ideas of 1.2 to 2.6 MMT in that week at 2.089 MMT. That was down 26.9% from last week but still the third largest total for the marketing year. The largest buyer was Mexico at 620,700 MT, with 515,200 MT sold to unknown destinations and 257,000 MT to Colombia.

Canadian corn production is estimated to total 15.55 MMT according to Statistics Canada, which would be a 1.5% increase from last year. 

Sep 25 Corn  closed at $3.85 1/2, up 3 cents,

Nearby Cash  was $3.66 1/4, up 1 3/4 cents,

Dec 25 Corn  closed at $4.10, up 4 cents,

Mar 26 Corn  closed at $4.27 1/2, up 4 1/4 cents,

New Crop Cash  was $3.64 1/4, up 2 1/4 cents,