(Dave Bedard photo)

Fund short position in canola grows for first time in a month

Corn moves from net long to net short

MarketsFarm — After covering bearish bets for four straight weeks, managed money fund traders were back on the sell side of the canola market in late April, covering longs and putting on new short positions. According to the latest Commitments of Traders report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as of April 25, […] Read more

CME June 2023 live cattle with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, lean hogs turn lower

August feeder cattle down second day

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s most-active live cattle and lean hog futures turned lower Monday on a down day overall in livestock trade. CME June live cattle ended lower Monday after three consecutive days’ climb, at one point dipping below their 10-day moving average before closing at 164.875 cents/lb., down 0.6 cents on the day (all […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 soft red winter wheat with 20-day moving average, Minneapolis July 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. July 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Wheat futures sink on rains, global supplies

U.S. winter wheat conditions likely improved in past week

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures tumbled to fresh lows on Monday on ample world supplies, sluggish U.S. export demand and beneficial rains in key production areas of the Plains and Midwest. Corn futures slumped on forecasts for favourable Midwest planting weather and lagging U.S. export sales, while soybeans edged higher in a technical […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 soft red winter wheat with Bollinger bands (20,2). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago grains up off new lows, end week higher

Wheat rebounds off another 21-month low

Reuters — Chicago grain and soybean futures ended higher on Friday after posting fresh lows earlier as traders anticipated hefty global supplies and kept an eye on weather in the U.S. Bouts of short covering ahead of the weekend lifted contracts after corn, soy and wheat futures all struck multi-month lows this week. Recent rains […] Read more


CME June 2023 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures rise on cash market strength

CME cattle futures mixed

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures rose on Friday, supported by strength in the cash market and good overseas demand for pork, traders said. Cattle futures were mixed, with feeder cattle contracts easing on a round of profit-taking after setting new contract highs while live cattle contracts ended firm. CME’s most-active June […] Read more

CBOT July 2023 soft red winter wheat with 50-day moving average, Minneapolis July 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. July 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat, corn hit fresh lows

Export competition, China cancellations drag on futures

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago wheat futures fell for a seventh straight session on Thursday and touched a 21-month low on export competition while corn hit a nine-month low, walloped by cancellations of U.S. corn sales to China. The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) dropped 12-3/4 cents to settle […] Read more


CME June 2023 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm as corn prices fall

Lean hog futures down on profit-taking

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures ended firm on Thursday as corn futures sank to a nine-month low. Falling corn prices raised prospects for reduced feeding costs, traders said. Hog futures weakened, pressured by a round of profit taking after hitting their highest since April 4. The gains in cattle were kept […] Read more

ICE July 2023 canola with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: StatCan’s canola area estimate questioned

Traders predict significant increase ahead

MarketsFarm — Statistics Canada on Wednesday released its first survey-based seeding intentions report for the 2023-24 marketing year, reporting an anticipated 0.9 per cent rise in canola acres, to 21.6 million. The figure occupied the lower end of trade expectations, but StatCan recently adopted a new methodology of conducting the survey last December and January, […] Read more


CBOT July 2023 soft red winter wheat with 100-day moving average, Minneapolis July 2023 hard red spring wheat (yellow line) and K.C. July 2023 hard red winter wheat (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Chicago wheat closes down as global supplies look strong

Market monitoring Plains rain relief, Black Sea grain talks

Mexico City | Reuters — Chicago grains and soybean futures closed lower to mixed on Wednesday, as traders eyed sluggish demand and upcoming U.S. export sales data. Wheat fell on news of ample short-term global supplies, despite the risk that an agreement allowing exports from war-torn Ukraine may end next month. Canadian farmers intend to […] Read more

CME June 2023 live cattle with 10-, 20- and 50-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle rise as corn prices drop

Chicago lean hogs also strong

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rose Wednesday, supported by weakness in corn prices that boosted expectations for lower feeding costs, traders said. Hog futures rallied on strength in the cash markets. CME’s most-active June live cattle contract gained 0.55 cent, to 164.575 cents, rising above its 10-day moving average (all figures […] Read more