Russia’s Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine using Western long-range missiles to attack inside his country would bring NATO into the war. That and his threats to use nuclear weapons and the attack this week on a grain carrying ship in the Black Sea pressured the gold market and likely wheat and corn as well. The ultimatum presents the issue of who is going to blink first? Soyoil and lean hogs have now been the biggest losers for two weeks in a row. Wheat has been on a roll with pretty much three straight top weekly gains. Corn and soybeans have been riding the middle of the rankings.

The most serious weather issue continues to be in South America. There are some showers in south central Brazil but the heart of the production area...