CHICAGO (Reuters) — U.S. farmers plan to sow a record 82.93 million acres to soybeans this spring, up 8.4 percent from 2013, while corn seedings will drop 3.5 percent to 92.06 million acres, according to a survey released Monday by Farm Futures magazine. After planting an increasing number of fields with successive corn crops in […] Read more
Stories by Reuters News Service
Cattle futures slip before USDA report
CHICAGO (Reuters) — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Friday fell modestly as investors tweaked positions before the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s monthly Cattle-on-Feed report, traders said. Analysts expect Friday’s data to show increased cattle placements last month as profitable margins allowed feedlots to bring in more calves for fattening. The government will issue […] Read more
U.S. February cattle placements rise more than expected
CHICAGO (Reuters) — The number of cattle placed in U.S. feedlots in February grew 15 percent from a year ago asrecord-high prices for cattle encouraged feedlots to bring in more calves for fattening, a government report showed on Friday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture report showed February placements at 1.650 million head, up 15 percent […] Read more
CN Rail union mulls strike as Ottawa urges arbitration
TORONTO (Reuters) — Leaders of the union representing 3,000 conductors, yard workers, and traffic co-ordinators at Canadian National Railway Co. will meet on Friday to decide whether to strike or take other action after union members narrowly rejected a second tentative contract deal with Canada’s biggest railway. The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference said in a […] Read more
CME plans European wheat futures to rival Euronext -sources
PARIS/GENEVA, March 21 (Reuters) – CME Group Inc, the world’s largest futures exchange operator, is working on plans to launch a European milling wheat contract in a direct challenge to Euronext’s Paris-based wheat market, several sources familiar with the matter said. CME, which owns the Chicago Board of Trade, has presented to French operators an […] Read more
China to resume Canadian canola meal imports, first in a year
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, March 21 (Reuters) – China has agreed to resume imports of Canadian canola meal from Richardson International Ltd, the first from Canada in about a year, a Richardson official said on Friday. The Chinese government agreed several weeks ago to resume imports of canola meal and canola meal pellets from privately held Richardson, […] Read more
Labor minister urges voluntary arbitration in CN Rail dispute
OTTAWA, March 21 (Reuters) – Canada’s labor minister on Friday urged Canadian National Railway (CN) and union leaders to seek voluntary arbitration to avert a strike at the country’s biggest railroad, which she said would damage the economy. On Thursday, members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference union narrowly voted against a tentative agreement reached […] Read more
Russia looks to Asia to offset fall in western meat imports
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia will look to Asia to compensate for a decrease in meat supplies from the United States, European Union and Australia, Russia’s veterinary and phytosanitary service (VPSS) said on Friday. The move comes amid the worst East-West crisis since the Cold War over Russia’s decision to annex Crimea from Ukraine. Washington expanded […] Read more
Russia allows U.S. pork imports from Chinese-owned Smithfield
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia has allowed U.S. pork imports from two firms of Chinese-owned producer Smithfield Foods Inc. after it received additional guarantees, Russia’s veterinary watchdog said on its website. Russia banned most meat imports from the United States early last year because of concerns over the use of the feed additive ractopamine. Its decision […] Read more
Deadly pig virus numbers rise in U.S. hog herd
(Reuters) — Confirmed cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus increased by 296 in the week ended March 15, bringing the total number to 4,757, according to data released on Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network. The U.S. and Canadian hog industries have recently developed partnerships to research what role, […] Read more
