Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) closed mostly lower on Tuesday as both markets were pressured by worries that wet weather around large parts of the country would disrupt demand for pork and beef. Above-normal rains are expected across much of the western and […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs, cattle drop as rains seen denting grilling demand
U.S. to favour soybeans in trade war aid for farmers
Washington/Chicago | Reuters — The Trump administration is considering direct payments to U.S. farmers of $2 per bushel for soybeans as part of an aid package to offset the trade war with China, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, an offer that could encourage more soy planting despite record supplies. China is the world’s top soybean importer, […] Read more
U.S. garlic growers profit from trade war as most farmers struggle
Gilroy, California | Reuters — Unlike millions of other U.S. farmers, garlic growers are profiting from the trade war with China and have cheered President Donald Trump’s latest economic attack accordingly. Sales of California-grown garlic are now increasing after decades of losing ground to cheaper Chinese imports. Sales are poised to get even better as […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn nears one-year peak as rains stall planting
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures climbed for a sixth straight session on Monday and touched their highest level in nearly a year as rainy Midwest weather and waterlogged fields stoked concerns about reduced plantings and lower yields for the crop. Wheat jumped to a three-month high on delayed spring wheat planting in the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs end mixed as market assesses trade battles
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) closed mixed on Monday as traders weighed positive news of easing trade tensions with Mexico and Canada against signs that trade ties with China are worsening. The U.S. struck deals last week to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from […] Read more
Input Capital steps back from mortgage expansion plans
Up against the current canola market, “commodity streaming” firm Input Capital has put off plans to ramp up its mortgage business with canola growers. The publicly traded Regina company in February announced a “comprehensive review of strategic alternatives to enhance shareholder value” and said it was in “an ongoing search for appropriate scalable sources of […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn extends rally, wheat touches six-week high
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures extended their rally on Friday, jumping to a four-month high, as forecasts of heavy rain sweeping a wide path across the U.S. Midwest next week fuelled concerns about worsening planting delays. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) corn prices rose for the fifth session, trading through its 100-day moving […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Feeder cattle futures dip to contract lows
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. feeder cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) dipped to new contract lows on Thursday as a rally in Chicago Board of Trade corn futures this week continued to signal rising feed costs and U.S. beef demand remains sluggish. Cattle futures also faced headwinds from U.S. Department of Agriculture […] Read more
U.S. to begin testing sick and dead pigs for African swine fever
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture within weeks will begin testing sick and dead pigs for a hog virus that has killed herds across Asia in an effort to minimize devastation if the disease enters the United States, the agency said on Thursday. Increased testing aims to help U.S. officials detect cases […] Read more
China cancels U.S. pork import order as trade war drags on
Chicago | Reuters — The same week U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping increases on tariffs against Chinese goods, Chinese buyers dropped orders for 3,247 tonnes of U.S. pork — the biggest cancellation in more than a year, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released on Thursday. The cancellation came during the week ended […] Read more