Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures took a breather on Monday after setting 8-1/2-year highs last week on concerns about tightening supplies in exporting countries hit by harsh weather. Russian agriculture consultancy Sovecon trimmed its forecast for Russia’s crop by 0.3 per cent from last week in the latest estimated reduction […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat ends mixed, near 8-1/2-year high
Pro Farmer corn, soy tour begins in U.S.

U.S. confirms will boost food stamps by record amount
Washington | Reuters –– The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Monday will announce revised nutrition standards dramatically boosting average food stamp benefits, the agency confirmed Sunday. The New York Times first reported the plan to unveil the largest permanent benefits increase in the history of the government’s primary anti-hunger program, saying the change would result […] Read more

U.S. slashes corn, soybean, wheat harvest forecasts
Chicago | Reuters – The U.S. government slashed its outlook for domestic corn production by 2.7 percent and its soybean harvest view by 1.5 percent on Thursday as dry soils in key western growing areas cut into the potential for a bumper harvest. The dry conditions also hampered U.S. wheat production, which was forecast at […] Read more

Slow U.S. corn shipments could pressure supply forecasts
Reuters – The United States has already secured a record corn export campaign for the nearly concluded season, but the shipments are unlikely to match the government’s current forecast because the pace has recently been too slow. Disappointing export inspections last week – a marketing year low – might be an indication that the U.S. […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: USDA forecast depends on ‘a lot of moving parts’
MarketsFarm – Analysts are finding the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) 2021-22 monthly crop estimates, which will be released on Aug. 12, to be very hard to predict. “It seems to me that the range for corn guesses are way, way wider than what we’re getting for new crop beans,” said Sean Lusk, vice-president […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: Analysts await USDA crop estimates
MarketsFarm – Traders at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) are positioning themselves ahead of the United States Department of Agriculture’s monthly crop estimates to be released on Aug. 12. Estimates from private firms and speculation over how accurate they will be compared to the USDA’s are making their mark on the markets. “I think […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle firm on scarce supply and firmer cash markets
Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures firmed on Wednesday as cash trade firmed and wholesale beef prices march higher, traders said. “We have some tighter market-ready cattle supplies right now. The outlook is for supplies to tighten further later in the year and into next year,” said Doug Houghton, technical analyst […] Read more

African swine fever confirmed in Dominican Republic pigs: USDA
Chicago | Reuters – The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the deadly hog virus African swine fever in samples from pigs in the Dominican Republic, the agency said on Wednesday, fuelling concerns about the disease creeping closer to the United States. The positive tests represent the first detection of the disease in the Americas in about 40 […] Read more

CBOT weekly outlook: More information needed for wheat, soybeans
MarketsFarm – As a spring wheat tour of the Northern Plains of the United States wraps up, grain traders are awaiting the results with great interest. “That has wheat excited all over again, because (traders are) already well aware yields are going to be quite low,” said Ryan Ettner, broker for Allendale Inc. in McHenry, […] Read more

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat snaps winning streak
Chicago corn, soybeans also fall
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soft red winter wheat futures plunged 2.6 per cent on Thursday, snapping a six-session streak of gains as traders locked in profits from the rally. Soybean futures were down two per cent, with the latest weather forecasts showing that some timely rains will arrive in key growing […] Read more