CME October 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (dark red line) and cash lean hog index (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs firm on China’s herd restrictions

Cattle mixed to lower ahead of report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) lean hog futures firmed on Thursday, after China lowered its sow herd targets in an effort to ensure supply and stabilize prices. China’s ministry of agriculture and rural affairs said the target for its sow herd was now around 41 million head for 2021-2025 and should be […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with 20-, 100- and 200-day moving averages (yellow, green and black lines). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy jump despite rising harvest as oil, equities gain

Accelerating harvest amid dry U.S. forecast caps gains

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures rebounded on Wednesday from four sessions of declines in a technical and fund-buying bounce fueled by rising crude oil and equities markets, more than offsetting seasonal pressure from an accelerating U.S. harvest. Soybean and wheat futures also advanced as global economic jitters eased and the dollar weakened. The […] Read more


File photo of a pineapple field in Taiwan. (Bing-Jhen Hong/iStock/Getty Images)

Taiwan applies to join Pacific trade pact week after China

Taipei | Reuters — Taiwan has formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the government said Wednesday, less than a week after China said it too had submitted an application. Taiwan has been angling to join the grouping for a while and had already been discussing the issue informally […] Read more

(DarcyMaulsby/iStock/Getty Images)

China to release potash reserves

Move said to be intended to ensure supply, stabilize prices

Beijing | Reuters –– China’s state planner on Wednesday said the government would take measures to keep supply and prices of fertilizers stable, including releasing potash fertilizer reserves and ensuring imports reach farmers as it looks to bolster food security. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said it was one of 13 government departments […] Read more



CBOT December 2021 corn (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn eases as harvest progresses

Soybeans climb after reaching three-month low

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn eased for a fourth session on Tuesday as harvest progressed in the U.S., pressuring supplies, while a rallying dollar and lingering storm disruption cooled export sentiment. Wheat tracked corn lower on outside market pressure, while soybeans firmed after a near three-month low on Monday. The most-active corn contract on […] Read more


CME December 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages (pink, brown and dark red lines). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: CME lean hog futures rise from February low

December live cattle close lower

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures climbed on Thursday, as the market recovered from a decline to its lowest prices since February. Technical buying helped support prices, while concerns about waning U.S. pork exports continue to hang over the market, analysts said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported 2021 export sales […] Read more

CBOT December 2021 wheat (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat up after mixed trade

Traders eye U.S. corn harvest results

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures ended higher on Thursday after struggling for direction as traders assessed reduced harvest prospects in major exporting countries. Corn and soybean futures were little changed after topping two-week highs. Traders focused on global supply risks for wheat as Strategie Grains sharply lowered its projection for […] Read more


Beef is on display at a Walmart in Beijing on Sept. 23, 2019. (File photo: Reuters/Tingshu Wang)

China applies to join Trans-Pacific trade pact

Second-biggest economy seeks to add to economic clout

Updated, Sept. 17 — Beijing | Reuters — Japan said it would have to determine if China meets the “extremely high standards” of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) after the world’s second-biggest economy formally applied to join. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao submitted China’s application to join the free trade agreement in […] Read more

CME December 2021 lean hogs (candlesticks) with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Nearby hogs up in rebound off six-month low

CME cattle futures slide

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures ended higher in nearby contract months on Wednesday, as the market rebounded from a drop to its lowest prices in more than six months. Most-active December hogs recovered after dropping 12.5 per cent since the start of the month on concerns about slowing U.S. pork […] Read more