A trend usually continues until some major economic force enters the market, causing a change in direction. Either of these developments, or a combination of the two, would cause the market to move from a sideways trend to an uptrend. You can get a feel of the direction the market is taking by simply listening to market news on the radio. But charts provide a visual display of price movement that gives you, as a farm business operator or owner, a much better understanding of market trends. This is similar in principle to a road map, which shows specific twists and turns in the road, instead of just the general direction the traveler is going.
Producers can plot trend lines on either a daily or weekly market chart.
It's an individual decision on how much information is needed to fit the marketing needs of a particular enterprise, and how much time can be spent in charting. The sideways trend is usually the longest running trend in the grain market. This is generally due to the presence of large surpluses, accompanied by a steady demand pattern that does not lower the surplus level at a significant rate. Based on fundamental factors, intermediate and long term sideways trends normally appear at the bottom, or close to the bottom, of a trading range. The top line is drawn across as many highs as possible and the bottom line is drawn across as many lows as possible.