On $($June $3),$ a corn farmer plans to harvest and sell $60,000$ bushels of corn in the cash market in October. He places his HEDGE today by trading December corn futures contracts at $660$ cents per bushel. Assume that when hedging the farmer matches the amount of his cash and futures bushels.

$($Each corn futures contract represents $5,000$ bushels.$)$

He expects the basis $($using the December futures price$)$ to be $40$ UNDER, or $-40$ Dec, when he sells the corn at harvest$-$time in October.

On October $10,$ the farmer sells the corn in his local cash market for $600$ cents per bushel. He also offset the hedge on October $10$ when the the December corn futures price is $620$ cents per bushel.

How did the actual basis on October $10$ differ or change from his expected basis on June $3?$

It increased or strengthened by $20$ cents per bushel

It decreased or weakened by $20$ cents per bushel

It increased or strengthened by $40$ cents per bushel

It decreased or weakened by $40$ cents per bushel