Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures firmed on Monday on a round of technical buying and short-covering after prices weakened late last week, traders said. But huge supplies and spotty demand for U.S. supplies on the global market continued to hang over the market, limiting the gains. “It may be a […] Read more
U.S. grains: Short-covering, technical buying spur gains
Alberta’s farm worker bill passes, with tweaks
A more specific version of the Alberta government’s bill to extend workers’ comp and OHS regulations to paid farm workers has cleared the legislature. Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act, passed third reading 44-29 Thursday. It received royal assent Friday, after the legislature adjourned until Feburary. But the bill, as […] Read more
USDA sees farmers boosting corn, cutting soy acreage
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Agriculture Department on Friday forecast that U.S. farmers will raise corn plantings and cut back on soybean acreage in the 2016-17 marketing year. USDA’s Office of the Chief Economist estimated that farmers would seed 90.5 million acres of corn during the spring, 2.1 million more than they did in 2015-16. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat, soybeans end week with losses
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell on Friday on concern that competition would stiffen on the export market, traders said. Wheat futures also were weak as traders locked in profits from a short-covering bounce that pulled prices from multi-year lows. Soybeans were on track to notch their biggest weekly decline since […] Read more
Dow, DuPont to merge in deal to create chem giant
Reuters — Chemical giants DuPont and Dow Chemical agreed to merge in an all-stock deal valuing the combined company at US$130 billion in a win for activist investors that could spark further consolidation in the farm chemicals industry. The deal to combine two of the biggest and oldest U.S. chemical producers is a prelude to […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn extend rally on short-covering
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and wheat futures rose for the third straight day on Thursday, with investors who had made bearish bets on the grains scrambling to cover short positions as the market rallied, traders said. Soybeans also were firmer, but technical resistance and huge supplies kept the gains in check. Robust demand […] Read more
Monsanto-backed panel says glyphosate not carcinogenic
Reuters — A panel of scientists is disputing a World Health Organization report published earlier this year that concluded glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer and main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is probably carcinogenic to humans. The 16-member panel, assembled by Intertek Scientific and Regulatory Consultancy, was to present its findings to […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Soy, corn hold in trading range
CNS Canada — Supply and demand estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture held few surprises and had only limited effects on Chicago Board of Trade corn and soybeans — both rangebound in the short term, according to one U.S.-based analyst. “That report was pretty non-eventful right now,” said Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodity Brokers. […] Read more
Views mixed on impact of crude’s slip for ag markets
CNS Canada — While just about everyone agrees the plunging price of oil will have a bearish effect on commodity prices, the size and impact of that fall seems to vary. As recently as Nov. 4, crude oil prices were $48.64 a barrel, but since then have fallen to US$37.86, as of Wednesday’s opening. Some […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat rises on weaker dollar, stocks check corn
Reuters — Chicago wheat futures rose on Wednesday, as short-covering and a weaker U.S. dollar buoyed prices after a two-day slide, while a U.S. government report held corn in check. Corn eked out only a tiny gain, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its outlook for domestic corn supplies by 25 million bushels, more […] Read more
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