Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures jumped to their highest prices in more than a week on Friday on concerns that top-exporter Russia may curb grain exports, traders said. Russia will consider restricting 2018-19 shipments once they reach 30 million tonnes, following a request from meat-producing regions, according to traders who met with the […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat tops one-week high on Russia export concerns

G20 ag ministers slam protectionism, pledge WTO reforms
Buenos Aires | Reuters — Agriculture ministers from the G20 countries criticized protectionism in a joint statement on Saturday, and vowed to reform World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, but did not detail what steps they would take to improve the food trade system. In the statement, they said they were “concerned about the increasing use […] Read more

Despite some stresses, ‘cautious’ optimism for cow-calf sector
Strong demand and prices are good news, but feed costs and tariffs are troubling
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta cattle producers have a few reasons to be optimistic as they head into the fall. “We’re still on the profitable side for the cow-calf guy,” said Charlie Christie, chair of Alberta Beef Producers. “I’m hearing some optimism on the market side. Whether that will translate into good calf prices in the fall remains to […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy jumps as U.S. readies aid for farmers
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures climbed to two-week highs on Tuesday as the Trump administration said it would provide up to US$12 billion in aid to shield U.S. farmers from economic pain stemming from trade disputes. The program will include direct payments for farmers, and those who grow soybeans are expected to be […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soy, corn fall for fourth week over trade tensions
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean and corn futures posted losses for the fourth straight week on worries about the escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China, although prices rose for the day on Friday as some traders covered short positions. Soybeans ended 1.2 per cent lower on the week, after plunging to their […] Read more

Klassen: Stronger demand sustains feeder cattle market
Western Canadian feeder cattle markets were relatively unchanged from week-ago levels. Feeder cattle numbers are declining at this time of year, so those buyers looking to secure ownership had to be more aggressive. Higher-quality packages were available in Saskatchewan, which traded at a small premium to Alberta markets. In central and southern Alberta, there appeared […] Read more

U.S. grains: Corn at contract lows, soy dips below $9
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell to life-of-contract lows on Monday and soybeans briefly dipped below US$9 a bushel for the first time since 2016 as favourable weather outlooks bolstered yield prospects and trade tensions threatened export demand, analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures also sagged and K.C. […] Read more

U.S. grains: China trade spat sparks soy futures selloff
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures plunged 2.5 per cent to a one-year low on Friday on concerns that escalations in a trade fight with China would threaten shipments to the biggest buyer of the oilseed, traders said. U.S. President Donald Trump announced hefty tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports on Friday, with […] Read more

Amid trade uncertainties, Linamar builds up ag unit
CNS Canada — When Linamar announced it was purchasing MacDon Industries at the end of last year, there was trade uncertainty for Canada. Since then, the issues have ballooned, but Linamar isn’t panicking. “We’re trying to look past (the trade uncertainty) a little bit because there’s a lot going on there and we don’t know […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Corn, soybeans try to halt slide
CNS Canada — The future looks hot and dusty for corn and soybeans in the U.S. Midwest and central Plains over the next week or so. While crops in the U.S. are generally off to a good start so far this year, the heat could still bring some much-needed support to both commodities. The July […] Read more