Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, after traders exited nearby positions to avoid taking delivery and packers seemed to be bidding more aggressively than expected in the U.S. southern Plains. Traders said there was talk of Texas packers on Tuesday bidding in line with what they paid […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle rise as traders exit nearby positions
U.S. grains: Weather fears, short-covering lift prices
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain futures edged higher Tuesday on concerns that unfavourable crop weather could threaten domestic production, as markets temporarily shook off the weight of massive global inventories. Technical buying and short covering ahead of a monthly U.S. Department of Agriculture report on Wednesday helped fuel the gains, traders said. Wheat traders […] Read more
Egypt quarantine authority to ban ergot until new laws passed
Cairo | Reuters — Egypt’s agriculture quarantine authority will continue to apply a zero ergot policy on wheat shipments until new legislation is issued, the new head of the authority told Reuters on Tuesday. Former quarantine chief Saad Moussa’s zero-tolerance policy on common grains fungus ergot resulted in shipments to the world’s biggest importer of […] Read more
EU defers decision on glyphosate safety
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union on Tuesday put off a decision on whether to extend approval for glyphosate, used in herbicides including Monsanto’s Roundup, after a dispute between EU and U.N. agencies over whether it causes cancer. Experts from all 28 member states attended a closed-door meeting on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end lower as funds roll long positions
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed lower on Monday, after funds sold, or rolled, their April long positions and simultaneously bought deferred months, traders said. Funds trading in CME’s live cattle and hog markets shifted June long positions further back in a procedure known as the “roll” by followers of […] Read more
U.S. COOL rules formally off beef, pork
The U.S. Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has formally patched a long-sore spot in cross-border trade relations by pulling its country-of-origin labelling (COOL) regulations off beef and pork. The AMS, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), published its amendments Wednesday in the U.S. Federal Register. The changes, which took effect upon publication, mean […] Read more
EU may defer decision on glyphosate safety
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union will defer a decision on whether to extend approval for glyphosate, used in herbicides including Monsanto’s Roundup, following a dispute between EU and U.N. agencies over whether it causes cancer, EU sources said Monday. Experts from all 28 member states attended a closed-door meeting on Monday in Brussels, […] Read more
Egypt to allow trace ergot in wheat
Cairo | Reuters –– Egypt will allow wheat imports with trace levels of the ergot fungus of up to 0.05 per cent, the agriculture ministry said Monday, a day after the head of its agriculture quarantine authority was changed. Former quarantine head Saad Moussa’s zero tolerance policy on ergot had led to shipments to the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Short-covering supports corn, soy, wheat
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures rose for the fourth day in a row on Monday, supported by a round of short-covering after regulatory data released on Friday afternoon showed that speculators had built the biggest net short on record in all three commodities. But prices closed well off their session […] Read more
Egypt replaces head of agriculture quarantine authority
Cairo | Reuters — Egypt has appointed a new head of its agriculture quarantine authority, the ministry of agriculture said on Sunday, replacing Saad Moussa, who has been at the centre of a controversy over the country’s wheat imports. As head of the agricultural quarantine agency Moussa imposed a zero tolerance policy on ergot, a […] Read more
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