Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures hit their highest price since March 2013 on Monday on strong demand for limited U.S. supplies and concerns over dry weather hurting output in Brazil. Traders continue to focus on tightening global inventories as U.S. farmers plant corn and soy for the autumn harvest, rather […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn hits eight-year high
Soybean, wheat markets slump

U.S. livestock: Hogs set life-of-contract highs on tightening supplies
Cattle mixed on concerns for cash prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures soared to contract highs on Monday on tightening U.S. supplies and rising cash prices. Prices have been rallying as consumer demand is rising due to easing pandemic-induced restrictions on dining and travel, analysts said. Hog supplies are tight after some farmers euthanized hogs or performed […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs limit-down on profit-taking
Cattle futures continue lower
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures sank by their daily exchange-imposed trading limit on Thursday as profit-taking overwhelmed the market following blistering rallies, analysts said. The setback is a turnaround from gains that have lifted profits for pig farmers after they struggled last year when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced restaurants’ demand for meat […] Read more

Bayer, Corteva in ‘two-dog battle’ over U.S. soy market
Companies' GM soybeans jockey for market share
Chicago | Reuters — Bayer is launching a new genetically modified soybean in the United States, striking back against rival Corteva in a bid to retain its dominant position supplying seeds to the $40 billion U.S. soy industry. Billions of dollars are on the table for companies producing a growing variety of seeds for soybeans, […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, lean hogs set new contract highs
June hogs turn lower before close
Chicago | Reuters — Strong meat demand pushed U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures to new contract highs on Monday. The cattle market benefited from increasing demand for beef as the U.S. is entering the summer grilling season, analysts said. Prices for choice cuts of boxed beef soared by $5.82, to $258.67/cwt, while select […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybean futures advance on supply concerns
Traders watch U.S. planting progress, crop weather
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures jumped on Monday on concerns about U.S. supplies dwindling due to strong export demand and smaller-than-expected plantings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture shocked traders last week by reporting that U.S. farmers plan to sow 87.6 million acres with soybeans this spring and 91.1 million acres […] Read more

U.S. pork processors face higher costs, slower speeds after court ruling
Chicago | Reuters — An industry group representing America’s biggest meatpackers on Thursday pushed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to appeal a federal court decision that canceled an agency rule that allows pork plants to slaughter pigs more quickly. The decision issued Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Minnesota could raise costs for meatpackers like […] Read more

Mexico’s ban on GMO corn imports won’t apply to feed, U.S. says
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Friday that a Mexican plan to ban imports of genetically modified (GMO) corn would apply to grain used for human food products, not livestock feed, based on recent talks he had with Mexican Agriculture Secretary Victor Villalobos Arambula. Vilsack said limiting the ban to […] Read more

USDA plans more pandemic programs for disadvantaged farmers
Review found disparities in farm aid distribution
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday it will dedicate at least US$6 billion to help smaller-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers who were hurt by the pandemic, along with producers of organic food and other specialty crops. The agency said it would also increase by approximately $5.6 billion payments made […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy futures rally on dry Argentina weather
Attention turns to next week's USDA supply-demand outlook
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures prices pushed higher on Friday, notching a fourth straight weekly gain, as dry weather in Argentina continued to fuel worries about global supplies of the oilseed. Corn futures rebounded from a three-week low reached in the previous session, while wheat futures also edged higher. Concerns increased over crops […] Read more