US corn stocks are up 35%. Could that ease food costs?

The US Department of Agriculture counted 2.10 billion bushels of old-crop corn in storage on September 1, up 35% from the same date last year. The estimate, released September 30, landed as farmers began bringing in the next crop.

What it means: Could fuller corn bins make food cheaper? They may put pressure on the price of corn, an ingredient in animal feed, ethanol and processed foods. But the farm price is only one part of a grocery bill: transport, processing, wages and retailer costs matter too. A larger stock estimate is a supply signal, not a promise that supermarket prices will fall next week.