File photo of vessels on the Mississippi River south of New Orleans on Nov. 5, 2017. (Dave Bedard photo)

Low water on Mississippi to persist despite improved drought outlook

Risk of getting stuck mean less grain per barge

Chicago | Reuters — Low water levels on the lower Mississippi River are likely to persist through at least January despite expected above-normal precipitation across the southern U.S. this winter, forecasters with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Thursday. The severe to exceptional drought choking the lower Mississippi River valley is expected to […] Read more

Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in degrees Celsius on Oct. 18, 2023. (NOAA.gov)

El Nino worries Brazil soy farmers as planting progresses, grain lobby says

Dry weather has pushed back planting

Sao Paulo | Reuters — Soybean farmers in top growing state Mato Grosso worry that scarce rains and high temperatures will lead to replanting of some areas while lowering yields in others, local grain farmer lobby Aprosoja-MT said Thursday. The unusual heat and dryness has been linked to the El Nino weather pattern, which is […] Read more


One Canada Square (tower at centre) houses the London head office of the International Grains Council (IGC). (Iliffd/iStock/Getty Images)

Cuts to corn output drag IGC’s overall estimates lower

Wheat production estimate up, soy down

MarketsFarm — Reductions to global corn production for 2023-24 resulted in the International Grains Council cutting some of its numbers in its monthly supply and demand report issued Thursday. The London-based IGC reduced its forecast for world corn output from its September call of approximately 1.222 billion tonnes, to 1.219 billion. Although total use in […] Read more

CBOT December 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn futures rally to August high

Strong demand in U.S. supports CBOT soybeans

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rallied above US$5 a bushel to their highest level since August on Thursday, while soybean futures touched a four-week high. The gains came as farmers are in the middle of harvesting their crops, a time when the influx of fresh supplies normally pressures prices. A severe drought that […] Read more


ICE November 2023 canola with 20- and 50-day moving averages and January 2024 canola (black line). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Upside seen for canola prices

'Aggressive manipulation' seen as a factor

MarketsFarm — Early gains were followed by late losses on ICE Futures’ canola market during the week ended Wednesday. The November canola contract began the week at $704.60 per tonne before rising up to $725.80/tonne on Monday, then ending the week at $711.70. The January contract went in similar directions, starting at $710.10/tonne before moving […] Read more

Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn rangebound, soybeans rising, wheat erratic

Chicago wheat fluctuation 'just drives you nuts'

MarketsFarm — While soybean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade have moved higher over the past week, corn was rangebound and wheat lacked any clear direction in choppy trade, making it hard to predict where values may go from here, according to Scott Capinegro of Barrington Commodities in Barrington, Ill. Capinegro said the December […] Read more


CBOT December 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX December 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow high/low/close) and K.C. December 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange H/L/C). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat firms on bargain buying, corn follows suit

Soybeans hit three-week high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures rose for the first time in three sessions on bargain buying on Wednesday, with corn futures following, traders said. Wheat futures also gained a mid-session boost on rekindled market speculation that India, a leading wheat producer, may be tight on supplies. India raised the price at which it […] Read more

CBOT November 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans hold firm with harvest, domestic demand in focus

Corn eases as harvest watched, wheat retreats from two-week high

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures firmed for a second straight session on Tuesday amid thin technical trading, as strong domestic demand eased concerns about supplies growing as the U.S. harvest continued. Corn inched down while traders monitored the U.S. harvest progress, as investors watched Israel’s war with Palestinian militant group […] Read more


(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Fund short position grows in canola

Funds shift to net short in CBOT soybeans

MarketsFarm — The managed money net short position in ICE canola futures continued to grow in early October as speculators liquidated long positions and put on new shorts, according to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). As of Oct. 10, the net managed-money short position in canola […] Read more

CBOT December 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX December 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat down off two-week high on global demand

U.S. says soybean harvest is 62 per cent complete

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures ended lower on Monday after rising earlier to their highest level in more than two weeks on hopes for global demand. Corn futures also eased as traders monitored the U.S. harvest, while gains in soyoil futures helped lift the soybean market, analysts said. After trading […] Read more