CBOT March 2021 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Futures surge to highest since 2014 as USDA cuts supply outlook

Wheat futures at six-year high; corn, soy at 6-1/2 year highs

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures surged to fresh multi-year highs on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said 2020 U.S. corn and soy harvests were smaller than expected and stocks of key crops were thinner that previously thought. Corn jumped by as much as five per cent, while […] Read more

CME February 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures rise as corn surge seen squeezing supply

Cash prices pressure nearby live cattle futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures firmed Tuesday on higher cash hog prices and improving pork packer margins and as soaring feed costs stoked concerns about tighter hog supplies. Corn futures prices surged more than five per cent on Tuesday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) slashed its 2020 harvest estimate, with […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Higher feed grain prices continue to pressure feeders

Compared to mid-December, western Canadian yearlings traded $3-$5 lower; mid-weight calves are down $4-$6 while calves under 550 lbs. remained firm. Buyers exhibited a defensive tone on heavier yearlings and discounts were more severe on fleshier cattle last week. There is absolutely no risk appetite for 850-plus-lb. cattle at this time of year. Demand for […] Read more



CBOT March 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Futures slip on South American rains

USDA report seen cutting U.S. soy, corn supply estimates

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures slipped from 6-1/2-year highs on Monday on crop-boosting rains in South America and as investors squared positions ahead of eagerly awaited U.S. government crop forecast data due on Tuesday. Corn and wheat futures also pulled back from multi-year peaks posted last week as the U.S. dollar firmed and […] Read more

(ThamKC/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear biofuel waiver case

Reuters — The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to review a lower court ruling that severely limited the government’s powers to exempt small refineries from the nation’s biofuels law, rekindling a long-running dispute between the oil and corn industries. The decision came after appeals by refining companies that argued the 10th Circuit Court’s decision […] Read more


File photo of a cornfield in Argentina. (Reisegraf/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina lifts corn export ban

Export suspension to be replaced with 30,000-tonne sales cap

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina has lifted a suspension on corn exports announced in December and will opt instead for a temporary 30,000-tonne daily cap on sales abroad, its agriculture ministry said on Monday, backing off the more restrictive measure that had infuriated farmers in the South American grains powerhouse. The world’s No. 3 […] Read more

CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures drift lower on technical selling

Back months in hogs, cattle draw speculators' interest

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed lower on Friday on light technical selling, with the spot February contract pressured as speculators rolled long positions into forward months, traders said. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) February live cattle futures settled down 0.5 cent at 114.475 cents/lb. (all figures US$). Friday was the first day of […] Read more


CBOT March 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans to 6-1/2-year top on expectations of tightening stocks

Corn futures up, wheat retreats

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures resumed their rally on Friday after a light setback a day earlier, climbing to 6-1/2-year highs on signs of fresh export demand and expectations that key U.S. crop reports next week will indicate tightening global supplies. Corn futures also rose, hovering near multi-year highs set this week above […] Read more

File photo of a cornfield in Argentina. (Reisegraf/iStock/Getty Images)

Argentina ‘evaluating’ corn export suspension

Move meant to boost domestic food supplies

Buenos Aires | Reuters — Argentina’s government said on Thursday it would review its decision to temporarily suspend corn exports after a meeting between the farming minister and the leaders of the country’s main agricultural associations. The agriculture ministry said in a statement that agreements had been struck to guarantee the domestic supply of corn […] Read more