CBOT July 2020 soybeans with Bollimger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn end lower as demand flags

Wheat pressured by improved Northern Hemisphere weather

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures settled lower on Wednesday, as continued weak demand due to the coronavirus epidemic and renewed U.S.-China trade tensions offset support from a flurry of commodity purchases by top importer China. Corn also slipped, following a pullback in crude oil, while wheat eased as beneficial rain for Northern Hemisphere […] Read more



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

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs slide after three days of gains

"The workers are spooked to come to work"

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures retreated on Tuesday in a profit-taking setback after three sessions of gains that were fueled by rising meat prices and concerns about meat shortages as several packing plants have closed due to coronavirus infections among workers. Benchmark June lean hog futures corrected after gaining nearly 18 […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Corn gains with rising crude, limited by early planting

Soybeans rise on sale to China, despite tariff talk

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures gained on Tuesday, following energy markets higher on hopes of renewed ethanol fuel demand as lockdowns ease, but were capped by ahead-of-schedule planting across the U.S. Midwest, analysts said. Soybeans climbed on confirmation of new sales to China, even as the United States renewed tariff threats over China’s […] Read more


File photo of a truck arriving at a Smithfield Foods pork plant at Smithfield, Va. on Oct. 17, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/Tom Polansek)

Smithfield starting to reopen Sioux Falls hog plant, union says

Major plant was shuttered by COVID-19 outbreak

Chicago | Reuters — Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, resumed limited operations on Monday at a massive South Dakota slaughterhouse it closed last month because of the coronavirus pandemic, the union representing plant employees said. The closure of the plant and other slaughterhouses due to coronavirus cases among employees has led to temporary […] Read more

(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Cargill’s High River plant reopens with two slaughter shifts

Cutting line to resume Wednesday

Cargill’s southern Alberta beef packing plant, estimated to be responsible for over a third of Canada’s beef processing capacity, restarted Monday after a two-week COVID-19-related shutdown — but at a quicker pace than previously expected. The company said in a statement Monday it is resuming operations at the High River plant “with two shifts” in […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Soybeans tumble as China spat piles on demand worries

Grain markets hit by drop in demand for feed, biofuel

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean and corn futures slid on Monday as rising tensions between Washington and Beijing raised concern about further demand risk, on top of coronavirus disruptions to biofuel and livestock feed markets. Favourable crop weather also weighed on prices as planting advanced in the U.S. Midwest while rain across Europe looks […] Read more

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

U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures inch up as plants reopen

Rising wholesale prices support futures

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog and live cattle futures closed higher on Monday, as meat processing facilities began to open after closures of more than 20 plants due to coronavirus illnesses among workers. Rising pork and beef cutout prices have also helped give futures a boost on Monday, said Mark Schultz, chief analyst […] Read more


(Nadezhda_Nesterova/iStock/Getty Images)

B.C. health officials order two more poultry plants closed

Over 50 COVID-19 cases found at Superior Poultry

Health officials in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley have ordered two more poultry processing plant closed after multiple cases of COVID-19 were confirmed among employees. Fraser Health announced April 24 it had ordered Superior Poultry Processors of Coquitlam to close after two employees of the chicken processing plant tested positive for the coronavirus. The health district […] Read more

CBOT July 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans slide on renewed trade tensions with China

Corn, wheat also fall on heightened trade tensions

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures declined on Friday as renewed concern about trade tensions between the United States and China overshadowed fresh export sales to the world’s largest soybean consumer. Corn and wheat futures also fell on uncertain feed demand and good weather across much of the U.S. Midwest that signaled another strong […] Read more