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
U.S. grains: Wheat rallies as global demand offsets virus worries
USDA confirms China buys U.S. soybeans
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
U.S. grains: CBOT wheat down off nine-year high
Chicago corn, soybeans also weak
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell on Tuesday on a profit-taking setback, with the benchmark Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat contract sagging 1.9 per cent from the nine-year high it hit on Monday. Corn and soybean futures also were lower, but the declines were kept in check by signs of […] Read more
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
U.S. grains: Soybeans climb as soymeal surges
U.S. wheat nears nine-year top
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose about two per cent on Friday, led by soaring soymeal futures tied to technical buying, brisk demand for the high-protein feed ingredient and logistical hurdles, traders said. Corn and wheat futures followed the higher trend, supported by tightening global grain supplies and fund-driven buying, and U.S. wheat […] Read more
Brazil plays down BSE risk in suspect cases in people
Sao Paulo/Rio de Janeiro | Reuters — Brazil’s agriculture ministry said that two cases reported on Thursday of a neurodegenerative disorder in patients in Rio de Janeiro state were not related to beef consumption, tamping down fears of possible BSE causing human illness. Federal biomedical institute Fiocruz, which is investigating the possibility of bovine spongiform […] Read more
APEC ministers call for curbs on farm, fuel, fishing subsidies
Washington/Wellington | Reuters — Pacific Rim trade and foreign ministers on Tuesday pledged to sustain the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic while pursuing talks to curb subsidies for fisheries and agriculture at a forthcoming World Trade Organization meeting. The ministers from the 21 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries said in a communique issued after […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle at two-month high on strong beef demand
December hogs follow pork lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures reached a two-month high on Monday amid expectations for solid demand for beef, traders said. Gains in cash cattle prices last week helped support futures, traders said. Meat packers killed an estimated 121,000 cattle at U.S. slaughtering plants on Monday, unchanged from a week ago, […] Read more
Baltic Dry Index drops to three-month lows
MarketsFarm – Ocean freight rates have dropped significantly over the past month, with declining demand out of China behind much of the weakness. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI), which is a major indicator of shipping rates, settled at 3,187 points on Nov. 2, marking its lowest level in three months and well off the 13-year […] Read more
China to make protein for livestock from carbon monoxide
Beijing | Reuters – Chinese researchers say they have found a way to produce an animal feed protein from carbon monoxide in what is being hailed as a breakthrough that could help reduce the country’s reliance on huge volumes of imported soybeans. China is by far the world’s top buyer of soybeans, bringing in around […] Read more
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