Chicago | Reuters — An arctic blast hitting the U.S. Midwest this week will put a third of the dormant soft red winter (SRW) wheat crop at risk of damage, agricultural meteorologists said Monday. “It looks like extensive sub-zero temperatures on Wednesday night in the soft wheat belt will leave one-third of the belt at […] Read more
Arctic air surge puts U.S. SRW wheat at risk of winterkill
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn, soybeans surge on technical, bargain buying
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean, corn and wheat futures rallied on Monday, rebounding from sharp losses on a round of bargain buying, traders said. “People are coming back from holiday and saying ‘look at how hard things got hit’ and maybe thinking that it was a little overdone,” said A/C Trading Co. president Jim […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs sag as funds sell; live cattle rise
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs closed lower on Monday on sell stops and fund liquidation after nearby contracts drifted beneath technical support levels, traders said. February closed 1.375 cent per pound lower at 79.925 cents, below the 10-day moving average of 81.2 cents (all figures US$). April finished down 0.7 cents […] Read more
N.S. sheep producers backed for handling upgrades
Handling upgrades expected to help Nova Scotia’s sheep farmers cut down parasite loads in their flocks may be eligible for some public funding. The federal and provincial governments and Sheep Producers Association of Nova Scotia (SPANS) recently rolled out a Sheep Handling and Parasite Control Program, which will pay up to 40 per cent of […] Read more
Shake Shack IPO comes amid hunger for premium burgers
New York | Reuters — Shake Shack Inc.’s filing this week for an initial public offering underscores a question for investors and foodies alike: How hungry are U.S. consumers for another burger chain? A key part of Shake Shack’s growth strategy involves expanding its locations beyond its New York base, and investors and analysts are […] Read more
FCC, BMO offer breaks on loans to poultry farmers
Poultry producers up against direct impacts from avian influenza outbreaks at farms in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley may be able to get breaks on their outstanding loans with some lenders. Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and BMO Bank of Montreal both recently announced they may grant affected customers some leeway on payments. FCC said it “will […] Read more
Herders with machine guns intensify South Sudan land, food woes
Rome | Thomson Reuters Foundation — Tensions are rising in South Sudan as displaced pastoralists migrate onto lands occupied by farming communities, stoking a new series of conflicts in the war-torn nation and threatening food supplies, a United Nations official said Friday. Due to changes in migration patterns because of violence, the world’s youngest country […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME feeder cattle in biggest one-day jump in seven months
Chicago | Reuters — Lightly-traded Chicago Mercantile Exchange feeder cattle on Friday climbed two per cent, their biggest daily increase in seven months, led by live cattle market advances, traders said. Fund buying and buy stops surfaced after January and March surpassed their respective 20-day moving average of 221.46 cents and 218.46 cents (all figures […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans hit one-month low on technicals, rising world supply
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures dropped to a one-month low on Friday on technical selling and pressure from rising global supplies as South American growers are expected to harvest bumper crops in the coming weeks. Technical selling also dragged corn and wheat prices to their lowest in three weeks, while a firmer U.S. […] Read more
Agrium restarts potash output at Sask. mine
Fertilizer and ag retail giant Agrium has restarted potash production at its west-central Saskatchewan mine after a months-long expansion-related shutdown. Calgary-based Agrium said Wednesday its site at Vanscoy, about 25 km southwest of Saskatoon, is back in business after completion of what it called a “major turnaround” to tie in a one million-tonne expansion project. […] Read more