CBOT March 2022 soybeans (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, dark green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans surge on weather concerns

CBOT wheat rises after slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures surged on Friday, reaching highs not seen since last summer, as the market anticipated drought losses in South America that could curb global export supplies. Wheat rose after a two-day slide, attracting bargain-buying and traders hunting for short-covering, as investors closely monitor a standoff between Russia and the […] Read more



Bulalo, a Filipino soup dish made with boiled bone-in beef shank. (Jun Pinzon/iStock/Getty Images)

China, Philippines suspend beef imports from Canada on BSE case

Winnipeg | Reuters –– China and the Philippines have suspended imports of Canadian beef due to Canada’s detection in December of a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a spokesperson for Canada’s agriculture department said on Monday. The moves follow an import suspension by South Korea last month, after Canada reported its first BSE […] Read more



(Xinzheng/Getty Images)

New China import rules bring headaches for food, beverage makers

Cooking oil, milled grains among foods moved to higher-risk categories

Beijing | Reuters — Makers of Irish whiskey, Belgian chocolate and European coffee brands are scrambling to comply with new Chinese food and beverage regulations, with many fearful their goods will be unable to enter the giant market as a Jan. 1 deadline looms. China’s customs authority published new food safety rules in April stipulating […] Read more

Dominic Barton. (Video screengrab from McKinsey.com)

Ambassador to China to leave post after helping free detainees

Canola, 5G access, other issues remain

Ottawa | Reuters –– Canada’s ambassador to China said on Monday he would soon leave his post after a two-year assignment where he helped secure the freedom of two Canadian detainees despite icy relations between Beijing and Ottawa. Dominic Barton’s departure, which will take effect Dec. 31, leaves a crucial diplomatic post open at a […] Read more


CBOT March 2022 wheat (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (yellow, orange and dark green lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat rallies as global demand offsets virus worries

USDA confirms China buys U.S. soybeans

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. and European wheat futures jumped on Thursday as a series of import tenders and fears of rain damage to Australia’s harvest overshadowed concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus variant. Soybean and corn futures also advanced at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). Global demand for wheat put renewed […] Read more

A soybean crop at Headingley, Man. on Sept. 2, 2021. (Dave Bedard photo)

CBOT weekly outlook: Soybean purchases steal wheat’s thunder

MarketsFarm — While Chicago wheat is hitting new contract highs, soybeans are the standout commodity on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), according to one trader. Over the weekend, there were rumblings that China had purchased five cargoes worth of soybeans earlier in the week. Three nights later, that number had grown, which caused soybean […] Read more



File photo of a Chinese cornfield. (Baona/iStock/Getty Images)

China proposes new rules to ease GMO approvals

Leadership seeks 'turnaround' in seed sector

Beijing | Reuters — China is planning changes to its seed regulations that will make it easier to approve genetically modified crops, a move seen as a critical step toward commercializing GM corn. The ministry of agriculture and rural affairs published a draft document late on Friday proposing a series of amendments to several different […] Read more