Chicago | Reuters — Most Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle contracts on Thursday posted modest losses after a volatile session, as investors waited for cattle in the U.S. Plains to change hands, traders said. February futures drew support from wintry weather across the western Corn Belt that threatens to disrupt livestock production. February live cattle […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle end mostly weaker

German coalition deal sets no timetable to end glyphosate use
Hamburg | Reuters –– Germany’s draft coalition government deal includes a goal of ending use of glyphosate herbicide within the country, but gives no time frame, after Berlin swung a vote in November extending its use across the European Union. The timing of an end to glyphosate use has been highly controversial in Europe amid […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Funds, supply worries extend CME hogs’ losses
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs on Wednesday finished lower for a second straight day following another round of fund liquidation, along with increased supply expectations, traders said. February, which will expire on Feb. 14, was pressured by lower market-ready, or cash, hog prices as packers try to stabilize their slipping margins. […] Read more

Marijuana can only go on sale months after federal law passes
Ottawa | Reuters — Recreational marijuana in Canada will only go on sale a few months after it is legalized later this year because the new retail system needs time to start working properly, Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said Tuesday. The Liberal government says the new law must be in place by July 1 […] Read more

Alberta halts B.C. wine purchases in pipeline feud
Reuters — Alberta struck back at neighbouring British Columbia on Tuesday, halting purchases of that province’s wines in retaliation for its potentially holding up expansion of a crude pipeline. B.C. proposed rules last week to temporarily block increased oil shipments through the province, adding another hurdle to Kinder Morgan Canada’s planned $7.4 billion Trans Mountain […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME hogs slump on technical selloff
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs closed lower on Tuesday in the wake of technical selling that largely overshadowed bullish market fundamentals, said traders. U.S. stock market volatility, after their worst ever daily point loss on Monday, kept CME livestock market traders on the defensive. Some funds that bailed out of stocks […] Read more

Nutrien sees demand growth cooling, margins shrinking
Reuters — Nutrien, the Canadian fertilizer and farm supply dealer created from the merger of Agrium and PotashCorp this year, said it expected demand growth for potash in China and India to cool down in 2018. Nutrien, the world’s biggest fertilizer company by capacity, also said higher input costs would shrink nitrogen and phosphate margins. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Stocks, profit-taking hit CME live cattle
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Monday finished lower for the first time in three session due to profit-taking and continued heavy stock market losses, said traders. “People were just watching what happened with stocks over the past few days and decided they wanted out of everything and figure it […] Read more

ADM in talks to buy Bunge as early as this week
Reuters — Top U.S. grains merchant Archer Daniels Midland could reach an agreement to buy smaller rival Bunge as early as this week, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The potential deal comes as large grain traders that make money by buying, selling, storing and shipping commodity crops have struggled […] Read more

Ontario pot firm Aphria selling U.S. stake
Reuters — Ontario marijuana company Aphria said on Friday it agreed to sell its minority stake in U.S.-based Copperstate Farms to Liberty Health Sciences for $20 million. Boards of Aphria and Liberty have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close in the second quarter. Aphria has been looking to hive off its business […] Read more