CBOT December 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn choppy, wheat hits new contract low

Market eyes USDA's monthly supply-demand report for price direction

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures were choppy and wheat futures slid to the lowest level since May on Monday as traders scrambled to adjust their positions ahead of a key government crop report. Corn futures firmed late in the session on short-covering, and as market players debated how big the cuts to the […] Read more

(Bhofack2/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. food companies go deal hunting as pandemic growth fades

Twinkies maker Hostess exploring a sale

Reuters — U.S. packaged food companies are set for a flurry of deals in a push to revamp their brand portfolios as their pandemic-era fortunes fade and benefits of price hikes start to taper off. Last month, Campbell Soup struck a $2.7 billion deal for Rao’s sauce maker Sovos Brands (all figures US$). Unilever bought […] Read more


A vessel is seen arriving at Odesa in southern Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative on April 12, 2023. (Photo: Yulii Zozulia/Nurphoto via Reuters Connect)

Russian Agricultural Bank could have SWIFT access within 30 days, U.N. tells Moscow

Russia seeking 'actual exemptions' from sanctions

Reuters — A Russian Agricultural Bank subsidiary in Luxembourg could immediately apply to SWIFT to “effectively enable access” for the bank to the international payments system within 30 days, the United Nations told Russia in a letter, seen by Reuters on Friday. “SWIFT has confirmed that RSHB Capital S.A. would be eligible to apply for […] Read more

CBOT December 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX December 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat hits three-month low

Soy sets two-week low before U.S. crop report

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures hit their lowest price in more than three months on Friday, while soybean futures rose from a two-week low as traders waited for updated U.S. crop data. Trading was choppy and subdued before the U.S. issues its monthly world agricultural supply and demand estimates (WASDE) […] Read more


CBOT November 2023 soybeans with 20-, 30- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy futures stumble as trade awaits harvest, crop data

U.S. corn harvesting starts early in some areas

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell on Thursday as grain traders waited for farmers to harvest their fields and the government to release updated crop estimates next week. Most-active soybean futures ended down 16-3/4 cents at $13.59-1/2 a bushel at the Chicago Board of Trade (all figures US$). CBOT wheat futures declined 9-1/4 […] Read more

Liberia-flagged bulker K Sukret, carrying grain under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, waits for inspection in the southern anchorage of Istanbul on May 17, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Mehmet Emin Caliskan)

UN working on guarantees for Russia to restore grain deal, Moscow skeptical

Bombing of Ukraine ports, grain facilities erodes other partners' goodwill, Guterres says

Reuters — The United Nations is “actively engaged” in trying to improve Russia’s grain and fertilizer exports in a bid to convince Moscow to again allow the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday. “We believe that it’s necessary to create a system of mutual guarantee,” Guterres told reporters on […] Read more


Global sea surface temperature anomalies in degrees Celsius for the week centred on Aug. 30, 2023. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

Rest of September to be warmer than normal for Prairies

Southern Prairies to remain drier than normal

MarketsFarm — As summer turns to autumn on the Canadian Prairies, the weather outlook for the rest of September is for temperatures to be warmer than normal, according to Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics. One of the factors in those forthcoming temperatures is the El Niño that has been developing over the last several […] Read more

CBOT November 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy futures jump as heat, dryness hurt crop more than expected

USDA rates soy, corn crops least good-to-excellent since 2012

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures jumped on Wednesday after weekly U.S. government data showed crop conditions deteriorated more than expected during hot, dry weather. Reduced crop ratings fuelled expectations among traders that the U.S. Department of Agriculture may cut its yield forecast in a monthly report due next week. USDA […] Read more


Container ships pass through locks on the Panama Canal in this file photo. (CIA.gov)

Panama Canal water levels at historic lows, restrictions to remain

Lake feeding canal low on rainfall

Panama City | Reuters — The Panama Canal’s water levels have not recovered enough as the end of the rainy season approaches and limits on daily transit and vessel draft will stay in place for the rest of the year and throughout 2024, the waterway’s authority said on Tuesday. The restrictions, implemented earlier this year […] Read more

CBOT December 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, MGEX December 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. December 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat up off three-month low as Australian crop declines

U.S. corn, soy crop ratings fall more than expected

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures edged higher on Tuesday, after hitting a three-month low, amid short covering and concerns about dry weather threatening production in export hubs including Australia. Corn futures also rose, while the soybean market eased as traders awaited the start of U.S. harvesting. After the markets closed, […] Read more