By Ros Krasny and Julie Ingwersen WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) – U.S. farmers will increase soybean planting by less than expected this spring, and overall acreage of eight major crops is set to decline, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday in its first formal outlook for U.S. crops. At its annual Agricultural Outlook […] Read more
Stories by Reuters News Service
US ethanol market betting on no EPA change: Maguire column.
By Gavin Maguire, a Reuters market analyst. The opinions expressed are his own. CHICAGO, Feb 20 – Neither producers nor consumers of U.S. ethanol seem to expect the Environmental Protection Agency to follow-through on its proposal to cut the 2014 biofuels usage mandate, judging by the latest supply-and-demand volumes released by the Energy Information Administration. […] Read more
USDA sees pig virus limiting hog supply; cattle prices up in FY 2014
Feb 20 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday the spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) through the U.S. hog herd will “sharply limit” the supply of hogs compared to earlier expectations. “Mortality rates due to PEDv have been highest among young piglets which have curtailed the growth in the number […] Read more
Trading limits expand for CBOT oats after supply-worry rally
CHICAGO (Reuters) — The daily trading limit for Chicago Board of Trade oat futures and options expands to 30 cents a bushel when the grain markets open on Thursday after the nearby contracts rallied the 20-cent limit on tight oat inventories. CBOT oat futures closed on Wednesday locked up the 20-cent limit in the March […] Read more
U.S farmers to face lower grain, oilseed prices in 2014-15
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. farmers will plant more soybeans, cotton and rice in 2014-15, mostly at the expense of corn, other feed grains and wheat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday. At its annual Agricultural Outlook conference, the USDA forecast lower prices ahead for most major U.S. crops as the impact of the […] Read more
Most CME live cattle futures end weak, hogs mainly up
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Feb 19 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle ended mostly lower on Wednesday, with February futures supported by rising wholesale beef prices, while profit-taking pressured remaining contracts, traders said. February live cattle closed up 0.125 cent per pound at 143.875 cents. April ended at 141.825 cents, 0.300 cent lower, and […] Read more
MAGUIRE: U.S. crop acreage guessing game gets under way
CHICAGO, — The U.S. Department of Agriculture kicked off the U.S. spring crop acreage guessing game last week with the release of its baseline projections for U.S. row crop production. While the baseline projections are not an official USDA forecast of what is expected to be planted (and are rather consensus estimates based on prevailing […] Read more
U.S. consumers to see higher milk prices as export demand soars
(Reuters) — Picking up a gallon of milk at the grocery store is getting pricier and the cost could hit a record high for U.S. consumers in March, analysts warned. Strong global demand and stagnant production in other countries has led to increased exports of U.S. dairy products in recent months, generating more money for […] Read more
Canada eyes animal feed as pig-killing virus spreads
WINNIPEG, Manitoba/CHICAGO (Reuters) — The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is conducting tests to see if contaminated animal feed helped spread the piglet-killing porcine epidemic diarrhea virus across several Canadian provinces. The government agency said on Tuesday that testing has determined the virus was present in samples of U.S.-origin plasma obtained at the third-party manufacturer for […] Read more
Hog futures higher on strong cash market; cattle higher
By Meredith Davis CHICAGO, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hogs jumped more than one percent on Tuesday, supported by a strong cash market and strength in the broader commodities market, traders said. “It is a combination of the higher cash (hogs) but it is also related to macro fund buying across the […] Read more
