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Ethanol makers see demand surge on hand sanitizer stockpiling

Reuters — Some ethanol producers worldwide said demand is up for their products due to customers stockpiling hand sanitizer — which can be made using the biofuel — as the coronavirus outbreak worsens. The COVID-19 coronavirus has infected more than 110,000 people in 105 countries and territories and 3,800 have died, according to a Reuters […] Read more

CBOT March 2020 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, wheat, corn close lower after early gains

Traders focus on signs of tepid demand from China

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean, corn and wheat futures fell on Friday, with all three commodities facing pressure after rising early in the session. Soybean futures hit their highest in more than three weeks after the U.S. Agriculture Department at its annual Outlook Forum projected domestic soybean ending stocks for the 2020-21 marketing year […] Read more


CME March 2020 feeder cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME hog futures firm

Cattle contracts ease

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures ended higher on Friday on a mild technical bounce while cattle contracts weakened. Feeder cattle contracts were under pressure from profit-taking following six straight days of gains that pushed the front-month contract to its highest since Jan. 30. CME lean hog futures for April delivery ended […] Read more






K.C. March 2020 wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat, corn ease after rallies

Chicago soybean futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat and corn futures fell on Wednesday on profit taking from the previous session’s strong rally, grain dealers said. Bargain buying pulled the grain contracts from their session lows ahead of the close. “Yesterday was probably a little overdone in the wheat market,” said Jim Gerlach, president of Indiana-based A/C […] Read more

MGEX March 2020 spring wheat with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures rally, pull corn higher

Chicago soybean futures weaken

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures surged 4.5 per cent on Tuesday, their biggest gain since May, as cuts to the harvest outlook in Australia bolstered prospects for U.S. exports, traders said. The rally in wheat, which closed near session highs as technical buyers entered the market after the early strength, underpinned the corn […] Read more


CME April 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs rally with hopes for exports to China

Cattle market similarly hopeful

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures rose 2.1 per cent on Tuesday on hopes for increased demand from China as the world’s top pork consumer announced plans to begin issuing tariff-free import licenses. China will grant exemptions on retaliatory duties imposed against 696 U.S. goods, the most substantial tariff relief to be offered so […] Read more

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Ethanol woes spur new feed focus for Green Plains

Biofuel maker to reinvent itself as DDGS-based feed maker

Chicago | Reuters — Green Plains Inc., one of the biggest U.S. ethanol producers, is planning to flip its business model upside down to survive a crash in prices for the corn-based fuel. The company will invest some $400 million in the next two to three years at its 13 plants to make high-protein, corn-based […] Read more