Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures plunged more than four per cent on Thursday in the market’s steepest drop since mid-August after the U.S. Agriculture Department forecast 2016 planted acreage well above trade expectations. Soybeans firmed on USDA’s lower-than-expected soybean acreage and quarterly stocks estimates, although gains were limited by spillover pressure from corn. […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn tumbles four per cent on acreage forecast shock

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Anyone who has driven on a rural road or worked in remote areas where oil, mining, forestry or other development is occurring knows dealing with dust and unstable soils can be annoying — and it can also be a never-ending and costly task. Winnipeg-based Cypher Environmental, run by 34-year-old entrepreneur Todd Burns, has perfected an […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn, soybeans await data
CNS Canada — Soybeans and corn at the Chicago Board of Trade have been edging higher on investor short-covering ahead of a key report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While trade estimates are bearish for both of those markets, highly-anticipated reports often throw curveballs at investors, one analyst says. Soybeans – “This report is […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat drops from two-week high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures tumbled more than two per cent on Wednesday, erasing two sessions of gains, as forecasts for rain in some dry areas of the southern Plains eased concerns about reduced yields. Corn and soybeans also declined as traders adjusted positions ahead of the U.S. Agriculture Department’s planting intentions and […] Read more

End of China’s corn stockpiling threatens global feed trade
Chicago | Reuters — Grain traders worried on Tuesday about the risk for reduced demand from China after the government said it would scrap its corn stockpiling program at a time when global markets are awash with excess supplies. Traders said importers in China would likely reduce purchases of farm products used to feed livestock, […] Read more

China to end state corn stockpiling, free up prices
Beijing | Reuters — China plans to scrap its corn stockpiling scheme and allow markets to set prices for the grain, pushing to boost efficiency on its farms and to narrow a gap between local and international prices that has sparked a surge of cheaper imports. The government will instead subsidize corn growers and encourage […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat extends gains on dry, chilly weather
Reuters — Chicago wheat climbed on Tuesday to add to sharp gains a day earlier as the market assessed the risk of yield losses to U.S. crops due to a combination of dry and cold weather. Corn finished stronger and touched a nearly two-month high, with traders digesting news that China is to scrap its […] Read more

Deere buys stake in U.S. sprayer maker Hagie
CORRECTED, March 30, 2016 — Reuters — Deere and Co. said on Tuesday it has acquired a majority stake in Hagie Manufacturing, allowing the farm equipment manufacturer to take a greater position the high-clearance sprayer market. High-clearance sprayers, which allow farmers to spray fertilizers and pesticides in-crop later in the growing season, are “a new market for […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat jumps as Plains dryness sparks short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures jumped nearly two per cent on Monday on technical buying and short-covering amid concerns about adverse weather in parts of the winter wheat belt that could damage developing crops. Corn firmed slightly as spillover support from rallying wheat offset concerns about abundant global feed grain stocks and a […] Read more

U.S. senators call for review of Syngenta takeover
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. government panel that reviews foreign acquisitions should assess the impact on domestic food security from state-owned China National Chemical Corp’s planned US$43.1 billion acquisition of Swiss seeds and pesticide maker Syngenta AG, four U.S. senators said in a letter Thursday. The letter, sent to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, also […] Read more