Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures slid once again on Friday, after a volatile week in which prices plunged on investor fears about the economic impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, traders said. Wheat prices had steadied early in the day’s session but then started falling again on news that U.S. employment growth […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat slide continues in volatile week
Soybeans rise, corn up on support from crude oil prices

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hogs end down on profit-taking
Futures decline despite higher beef prices
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle, feeder cattle and hog futures ended lower on Friday as profit-taking hit the livestock markets ahead of the weekend, traders said. Live cattle futures consolidated after setting contract highs this week, traders said. Most-active CME February live cattle finished 0.625 cent lower at 138.95 cents/lb. (all […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle, hogs up with export demand
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle and lean hog futures rose again on Thursday, as fresh export numbers underscored strong demand for meat. Meanwhile prices on feeder cattle futures were mixed, as trades in the cash market prices jumped, traders said. Cash cattle had traded earlier in the week at $137-$138/cwt in […] Read more

U.S. grains: Grain futures regain ground as COVID jitters ease
Corn, soy firm after also hitting near three-week lows with wheat
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures turned higher Wednesday, recouping some of their steep losses from the previous session, as investor concerns that the Omicron coronavirus variant would derail the global economy began to ease. Corn and soybeans also regained ground on end-user buying, traders said, following hopes of export buyers looking for deals […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog futures finish higher
Investors' COVID concerns eased
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures finished higher on Wednesday as the markets recovered after dropping the previous session to their lowest prices in more than a week. Prices rose as investors’ concerns eased about the Omicron coronavirus variant, which rattled commodity and financial markets on Tuesday, traders said. Chicago Board of […] Read more

Cargill beef plant workers to vote on new negotiated offer
High River workers otherwise headed for strike or lockout Monday
Workers at Cargill’s major beef slaughter and packing plant in Alberta will vote this week on a new offer which it’s hoped will avert a strike or lockout, both due to start Monday. The new offer follows a “marathon” of negotiations Tuesday between Cargill representatives and the bargaining committee for United Food and Commercial Workers […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Markets ‘resilient’ in face of Omicron
MarketsFarm — While fears over the newly-identified Omicron COVID-19 variant caused a sharp downturn Friday in oil and equities, crop prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) were not as hard hit. “This new COVID-19 variant has got some traders spooked in the market here in thinking there might be some economic slowdown and […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat extends slide as Omicron worries mount
Corn, soybeans also slip on virus fears
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat prices fell to a nearly three-week low on Tuesday, as concerns that the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant could slow the global economy drove investors to reduce risk exposure. The entire grains complex felt pressure early in the session, after Moderna’s CEO cautioned that COVID-19 shots were unlikely […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fall from highs as Omicron rattles markets
Chicago February lean hogs also lower
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures weakened on Tuesday as worries about the new Omicron coronavirus variant rattled commodity and financial markets. Losses pulled live cattle futures down from contract highs reached in recent sessions. CME lean hog futures also fell, along with U.S. grains and soybeans, after Moderna’s chief cast […] Read more