Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures declined on Monday as funds scaled back long positions ahead of the U.S. presidential election, and forecasts called for optimal weather in the Midwest, where farmers are wrapping up the harvest of corn and soybeans, analysts said. Wheat futures turned higher, rallying on bargain-buying after a five-session slide. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn declines on long liquidation
Soybeans lower, wheat rallies
U.S. livestock: Live cattle up with wholesale beef prices
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures inched higher on Monday as rising wholesale beef prices buoyed the market in light-volume trade, analysts said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange December live cattle futures settled up 0.25 cent at 108.55 cents/lb. (all figures US$). “That’s still the underlying factor — (cattle) weights are not as big as […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle edge higher in subdued trade
Chicago hogs end mixed
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Friday for a fourth straight session, supported by follow-through technical buying after Thursday’s strong close and brisk demand for beef, analysts said. But trading volume was thin as brokers waited for significant cash cattle trade to emerge. Fat cattle traded lightly in the southern […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat slides on profit-taking, weather
January soybeans up, December corn flat
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures fell on Friday for a fifth straight session, retreating from multi-year highs set last week, on fund-driven long liquidation and improving crop prospects in the southern U.S. Plains, analysts said. Soybean futures firmed on export demand while corn settled narrowly mixed, with the front December contract losing relative […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures jump on tightening supplies
Lower wholesale pork values drag on hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Thursday on expectations that tight cattle supplies and rising demand for beef will buoy cash cattle markets, analysts said. Cash cattle traded lightly in the southern Plains this week at $106/cwt, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported, even with last week (all figures US$). […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures up on cash market optimism
Wholesale pork values support October hogs
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed firm on Monday, rallying after a sharply lower open as strong packer margins raised expectations for higher cash cattle trade this week, analysts said. Average beef packer margins rose to $320.18 per head, from $313.25 on Friday, according to livestock marketing advisory service HedgersEdge.com (all figures […] Read more
Minnesota fields thrive, Iowa storm damage continues on crop tour
Chicago | Reuters — Scouts on an annual U.S. Midwest crop tour continued to see fields battered by an Aug. 10 derecho storm in central Iowa on Thursday, with corn stalks snapped and ears littering the ground due to the hurricane-like winds. In Iowa, crop prospects swung wildly from field to field, according to scouts […] Read more
Wet harvests hurt U.S., Canadian spring wheat quality
Chicago | Reuters — Excessively wet conditions in the northern U.S. Plains and Canadian Prairies have hurt the quality of the region’s spring and durum wheat crops, potentially tightening supplies of top grades of the grains, handlers and agronomists said. Rains and heavy dew have slowed the harvest and, worse, caused mature, un-harvested wheat kernels […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs limit down as trade war heats up
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures tumbled on Friday, with the benchmark October contract falling its daily three-cent limit after China announced a fresh set of tariffs on U.S. agricultural products, traders said. China will levy extra 10 per cent tariffs on U.S. beef and pork from Sept. 1, its commerce […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle extend climb on robust packer margins
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures advanced for a fourth straight session on Thursday, led by the nearby August contract as robust profit margins for beef packers fueled expectations of strong demand for cash cattle, traders said. “Packers are just raking it in, so the incentive is there to ramp up […] Read more
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