South America, Europe footprint gives Bunge edge – CEO

CHICAGO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bunge Ltd is able to withstand any global agricultural trade disruptions arising from U.S.-China tensions, thanks to its massive soybean processing capacity in South America and expansion in Europe, Chief Executive Soren Schroder said at an investor event in New York on Wednesday. While ongoing trade tensions are not good for […] Read more

Taking advantage of market gyrations could be a salve for ADM and its rivals Bunge Ltd and Cargill Inc, as they cope with the risks to exports posed by the wave of trade protectionism, analysts said. | Twitter/@XHNews photo

Trade rows spell gain, and pain, for U.S. grain exporters

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Global grain marketers have seized upon trade tensions between the United States and several of its top export markets, including China, to turn around struggling trading units following one of the toughest years ever for the industry. After five years of bumper harvests worldwide that depressed crop prices, trading margins are on […] Read more

U.S. farmers tighten belts to compete with cheap LatAm grain

CHICAGO, Oct 26 (Reuters) – When Kansas farmer Tom Giessel drove over a deer carcass and punctured a tire on his combine during harvest this fall, he did not have the time or cash to fix it. He borrowed his neighbour’s tractor to finish. U.S. farmers are cutting costs any way they can to compete […] Read more


Bayer's LifeScience Center division, along with biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks, is forming a startup to focus on developing biological solutions to reduce the use of nitrogen-based fertilizer, or make farmers' use more efficient, company officials said this week. | File photo

Bayer joins in $100 million investment bet on bio fertilizer

CHICAGO, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Germany’s Bayer AG, one of the world’s biggest agricultural chemical companies, is joining a $100 million bet that the next big breakthrough in crop fertilizers will be found inside a biological Petri dish. Its Bayer LifeScience Center division, along with biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks, is forming a startup to focus […] Read more

As Trump meets biotech CEOs, farm advisers fret over empty USDA spot

CHICAGO, Jan 12 (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has left the agriculture secretary as the last department head to be named to his Cabinet, while a meeting with the chief executives of two agribusiness giants gave a hint at a roster of farm issues the incoming president will face. Trump met on Wednesday with […] Read more


CME lean hog futures surge amid summer grilling questions

CHICAGO, March 9 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures for animals set to be delivered in July and August surged to all-new contract highs on Wednesday, as investors bet on tighter supplies being available for the summer grilling season. Demand from pork packers was a bit hit and miss, said one cash hog […] Read more

Cattle futures rise as traders exit nearby positions

CHICAGO, March 8 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed higher on Tuesday, after traders exited nearby positions to avoid taking delivery and packers seemed to be bidding more aggressively than expected in the U.S. southern Plains. Traders said there was talk of Texas packers on Tuesday bidding in line with what they […] Read more

Heavy meat supplies sour CME cattle, hog futures

CHICAGO, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures <0#LC:> fell sharply on Friday, rounding out the week on a sour note as traders sought cover amid a steep downturn in wholesale beef prices. CME live cattle and feeder cattle futures gave back much of the gains they had made in the past two […] Read more


Technical trading, holiday fears sour CME hog, cattle futures

CHICAGO, Nov 9 (Reuters) – The Chicago Mercantile Exchange saw all of its live cattle and all but two feeder cattle futures contracts fall by the daily trading limit on Monday, pressured by technical selling and weakening wholesale beef prices, traders and industry analysts said. Meanwhile, CME lean hog contracts continued their slump on Monday, […] Read more