Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean, corn and wheat futures climbed one per cent or more on Monday, extending gains from late last week as the dollar weakened and investors covered short positions. Dry weather in Russia and the southern U.S. Plains’ growing areas also underpinned wheat prices while corn futures climbed above several key […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soy, corn, wheat rise on weak dollar, short-covering
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle up again on cash prices, USDA report
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures finished higher for a fifth straight session on Monday, fuelled by last week’s better-than-expected cash prices, traders said. Packers paid $163 to $165 per hundredweight (cwt) for market-ready or cash cattle in the U.S. Plains on Friday, up from $161 to $162.50 the previous week, […] Read more
Cattle parasite study points to possible way to fight malaria
London | Reuters –– Herds of African cattle may hold the secret to new ways of fighting parasitic diseases such as malaria, which kills some 600,000 people a year, scientists said on Friday. The researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that cows are protected from a parasite that causes a deadly disease called East […] Read more
Argentine soy stocks double as farmer-government tensions rise
Buenos Aires | Reuters –– Argentine farmers have stockpiled more than twice as much soy this year than last, defying a government desperate to increase export tax revenue needed to finance rising state spending ahead of the October presidential election. Growers say the increase in soybean reserves, to 7.4 million tonnes from 3.4 million, comes […] Read more
Health Canada clears Canadian firm’s ‘non-browning’ apples
A Canadian company’s genetically modified “non-browning” apples have picked up federal approval for commercial sale after review from Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The Arctic apple, developed by Okanagan Specialty Fruits and submitted for federal approval in 2011, “is safe for consumption, still has all its nutritional value and therefore does not […] Read more
Monsanto rips cancer agency’s Roundup takedown
The decision by an international group of cancer experts to classify the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide as “probably carcinogenic” has drawn fire from the product’s main maker. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a France-based arm of the World Health Organization, on Friday released its working group’s evaluations on the cancer-causing potential […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat, soybeans surge on falling dollar
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat futures rallied on Friday as investors used a sharp drop in the dollar as an excuse to cover short positions ahead of the weekend, traders said. Investment funds had built up short positions in all three commodities at the beginning of the month as export demand […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle rise before USDA report
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed firm on Friday, partly on positioning ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle on Feed report. Analysts expect the data at 2 p.m. CT to show decreased cattle placements in February compared with a year ago. April closed 0.35 cent per pound […] Read more
New Alta. canola crush capacity online soon
CNS Canada –– A new crushing plant Cargill is building at Camrose, Alta. will soon provide another outlet for Prairie canola, as the company is set to take delivery from farmers starting Tuesday. The facility, first announced in 2012, will be able to crush 2,500 tonnes of canola per day when operating at capacity. The […] Read more
Calgary Stampede feeling impact of oil price plunge
Calgary | Reuters — Canada’s top rodeo is feeling the impact of the global oil price plunge, with bids to sponsor one of the Calgary Stampede’s main events down more than 20 per cent from last year. The 103-year-old Stampede is a 10-day festival of rodeo, street parties and corporate entertainment held in Canada’s oil […] Read more