Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs climbed four per cent on Tuesday, pulled up by short-covering following the recent bump in cash prices that may have ended their two-week losing streak, traders said. Spot October ended up 2.55 cents/lb. at 69.375, and December 1.6 cents higher at 63.85 (all figures US$). Tuesday […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs climb as cash prices firm

U.S. grains: Corn extends run to one-month top on USDA yield cut
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn surged to a one-month high while wheat and soybean futures also rose sharply on Monday as investors bet the U.S. Department of Agriculture will reduce crop production forecasts in reports due in the coming weeks. Traders also exited short positions in nearby Chicago Board of Trade contracts as September […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy shakes off 6-year low, corn jumps on U.S. crop fears
Chicago/Reuters – U.S. soybean futures bounced on Friday after a surprise increase in the Department of Agriculture’s autumn harvest forecast knocked prices to six-year lows. Corn futures neared one-month highs after the USDA, in a monthly report, reduced its production estimate, igniting supply concerns. Traders are focused on the size of the crops because prices […] Read more

French court upholds Monsanto poisoning ruling
Lyon/Paris|Reuters — A French court upheld on Thursday a 2012 ruling in which Monsanto was found liable in the chemical poisoning of a French farmer, who says he suffered neurological problems after inhaling the U.S. company’s Lasso herbicide. The decision by an appeal court in Lyon confirmed the initial judgment, the first such case heard in court […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn tops one-week high on expectation for harvest cut
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. grain and soybean futures edged higher on Thursday, with corn topping a one-week high, on expectations that the U.S. Agriculture Department will trim its domestic harvest estimates in highly anticipated reports due out on Friday. Analysts expect USDA, in the monthly reports, to cut its corn and soybean production and […] Read more

Farm managers seek a few good aggies for awards
Agriculture students may be eligible for financial encouragement to improve their communication, critical thinking and leadership skills through Farm Management Canada’s national awards program. FMC and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs (CADAP) recently opened the 2015-16 edition of their Excellence Award for Agricultural Students, with a top prize of $1,500. The awards […] Read more

U.S. farmers unlikely to book sales off the combine this fall
Chicago | Reuters –– Cash market sales of corn and soybeans will probably be slow around the U.S. this fall as weakness in the futures market and crumbling basis levels have left prices well below growers’ targets and threatened profitability. But the downturn has not killed farmers’ hopes for a fall rally, even with expectations […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn, soy trade up, but fundamentals bearish
CNS Canada — Despite short-term bullish factors in Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn and soybeans, one analyst anticipates prices will be pressured in coming weeks. To start the week, a turnaround in crude oil markets supported prices, said Terry Reilly, senior commodity analyst at Futures International. Rebounds in Malaysian palm oil prices are also […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy drops on stable crop ratings, poor export demand
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures dipped on Wednesday on better-than-expected U.S. crop ratings and concerns about sluggish export demand. Wheat futures also declined, while corn traded near unchanged. Soybeans pulled back after rising on Tuesday on expectations that the U.S. Agriculture Department would cut its condition ratings for the crop in a weekly […] Read more

Glencore to rein in debt as commodity slump persists
Reuters — Mining and trading company Glencore acknowledged on Monday the severity of the global commodity market slump as it suspended dividends and said it would sell assets and new shares to cut heavy debts built up through years of rapid expansion. The London-listed company came under pressure to cut its net debt of US$30 […] Read more