CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rebound to one-week high

Lean hog trade remains focused on plant shutdowns

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live and feeder cattle futures jumped to one-week highs on Thursday as the markets extended rebounds after diving recently on concerns about the new coronavirus backing up livestock on farms. Hog futures remained under pressure from disruptions caused by the virus, which has shut pork processing plants run by Smithfield […] Read more

CBOT May 2020 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn futures set 3-1/2 year low as ethanol output tumbles

Soy futures consolidate after 3-1/2 week low

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures dropped to their lowest level in about 3-1/2 years on Wednesday as weekly ethanol output set a record low, reflecting weak demand for the crop during the coronavirus outbreak. Soybean and wheat futures also fell at the Chicago Board of Trade. Demand for corn-based ethanol has suffered as […] Read more


CME June 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures recover

Cargill cuts more beef shifts, Smithfield shuts more pork plants

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures advanced on Wednesday as the markets recovered slightly from recent losses that traders said had dropped prices too far below the cash markets. Futures prices have tumbled recently as major meat companies have shut slaughterhouses due to the spread of the new coronavirus among employees. The […] Read more

CME June 2020 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures rise as traders hope slaughterhouses reopen soon

Hogs more sensitive to packer disruptions

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rose Tuesday in a turnaround from recent losses, supported by a temporary easing of concerns over meat plants’ shutting due to cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus among workers, analysts said. Livestock markets have been fixated on shutdowns of meat plants because processing disruptions cause a backup in supplies […] Read more



(File photo by Greg Berg)

U.S. grains: Soybeans drop as livestock markets drag soymeal lower

Wheat eases on global supply; corn unfazed by crude oil deal

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures fell more than one per cent on Monday in the market’s steepest drop in 1-1/2 weeks, as livestock processing plant closures that impact feed supply weighed on soymeal prices. Corn also sagged despite optimistic news that OPEC might curb oil production, after a deal was signed over the […] Read more


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U.S. livestock: June hogs, cattle plunge limit down

COVID-19 shuts more U.S. meat processors

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures tumbled on Monday on worries about declining U.S. meat processing capacity after Smithfield Foods announced Sunday it would indefinitely shut one of its pork plants due to novel coronavirus infections among workers. The closure at Sioux Falls, S.D., affecting four to five per cent of U.S. pork production, […] Read more

CBOT May 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans, wheat climb on currency

Corn rises and falls with oil

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean and wheat futures on Thursday posted their biggest gains in two weeks, as a falling U.S. dollar made exports more attractive against South American and Black Sea grain producers. Corn futures climbed early on strong U.S. export sales and an early jump in crude oil prices, but settled only […] Read more


CME June 2020 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Futures slide as COVID-19 worries roil market

Concerns over meat processing pace drag on cattle, hogs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures slumped again on Thursday, volatility roiling the market as it faced resistance over surging stocks and growing concerns that meat packers will close plants in the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Lean hog future prices slipped for a second session on concerns about the domestic glut of hog supplies and […] Read more

CBOT May 2020 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn slumps as ethanol production hits decade low

Improved U.S. wheat crop ratings raise expectations of bumper supplies

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures slumped on Wednesday, giving up part of the previous session’s gains, as the U.S. government reported the U.S. ethanol industry saw a near-decade low in weekly production amid massive stocks. Wheat futures followed in mid-day trading, as investors squared up their positions ahead of Thursday’s world agriculture supply […] Read more