MarketsFarm — Commodity fund traders were busy covering short positions in corn and canola during the week ended Oct. 8, and even moved to a small net long in soybeans, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The net managed money short position in ICE […] Read more
Fund traders back away from bearish bets in grains, oilseeds
Trump’s hailing of Chinese farm purchases seen as ‘meaningless’
Beijing | Reuters — China is still a long way from forking out US$50 billion for farm goods from the United States, agriculture industry analysts said on Monday, cautioning that getting there is contingent on removing substantial technical and political hurdles. Outlining the first phase of a deal to end a trade war with China, […] Read more
U.S. farmers cheered by apparent trade truce
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farmers cheered the Trump administration’s announcement of a potentially dramatic increase in U.S. agricultural sales to China on Friday but warned they needed to see a follow-through of actual purchases. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the agricultural purchases could scale up to $40 billion-$50 billion annually as part of a […] Read more
Grains drop, soy firm following WASDE report
MarketsFarm — Monthly supply/demand data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture were supportive for soybean prices but bearish for corn and wheat, with adjustments to yields and harvested acres providing a number of surprises. Corn futures saw the largest immediate reaction at the Chicago Board of Trade, as average yields were unexpectedly raised to 168.4 […] Read more
USDA’s jump in soybean stocks comes in below forecasts
MarketsFarm — Although stocks of soybeans in the U.S. were estimated Monday to have increased dramatically compared to their year-ago level, the amount of that increase fell short of market expectations. In the Grain Stocks report released Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), total soybean stocks as of Sept. 1 were estimated to […] Read more
Funds cover some shorts in grains, oilseeds
MarketsFarm — The net fund short position in canola was reduced slightly during the week ended Tuesday, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Speculators also bought back some of their bearish bets in soybeans and corn, the CoT report noted. The net managed money […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: Canola values stay rangebound
MarketsFarm — Canola prices have been characterized as “firm one day and softer the next,” this week, remaining largely rangebound in light trading activity. “It’s hard to tell why, but canola oscillates between stronger than soybeans and then weaker,” said Ken Ball of P.I. Financial in Winnipeg. “It’s just spreaders playing back and forth with […] Read more
U.S. agriculture official calls trade tensions with China ‘new normal’
Buenos Aires | Reuters — The United States and China are still in the early stages of their trade war and tensions that arise from it should be considered the “new normal,” a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said on Wednesday. Washington has tried to hold China accountable for its trade practices and not sought […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: U.S. dollar, weather hurt prices
MarketsFarm — Growing strength in the U.S. dollar has hurt commodity prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), according to Terry Reilly, grains analyst for Futures International in Chicago. The impetus for the gain was comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, who remarked a trade deal with China could come sooner rather than later. […] Read more
Soybean cyst nematode confirmed in Manitoba
A damaging soybean pest that was expected to show up sooner or later in agricultural Manitoba has officially arrived. Crop surveys by University of Manitoba Ph.D. student Nazanin Ghavami with soil science professor Mario Tenuta and his students have turned up soybean cyst nematode at “extremely low” levels on soybean plant roots in one field […] Read more
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