Cattle hit 4-week high on beef gains; hogs weaken

CHICAGO, Feb 21 (Reuters) – U.S. live cattle futures jumped 1 percent to the highest prices in about four weeks on Tuesday, boosted by technical buying and gains in wholesale beef prices, traders said. Feeder cattle futures followed live cattle higher at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, while lean hogs were narrowly lower in light technical […] Read more

Canola crush margins continue downward slide

Winnipeg, Feb. 17 (CNS Canada) – Canola crush margins continue their downward slide, falling to their lowest levels in 10 months over the past week. Recent losses in many vegetable oil markets behind the declines. As of Feb. 17, the Canola Board Crush Margin calculated by ICE Futures Canada was at about C$86 above the […] Read more

Canada sees farm income dip, but staying at lofty level

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Canadian farmers’ incomes will decline 7 percent in 2017, falling for the second year in a row but remaining at above-average levels, the country’s agriculture department predicted on Friday. A drop in North American cattle and calf prices from record highs in 2015 is the main reason for the […] Read more


EU still on track for bigger rapeseed crop despite winter chill

PARIS, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Rapeseed in the EU’s major growing countries was mostly in reasonable shape, despite localised damage caused by dry sowing conditions and winter frosts, keeping the EU on course for a rebound from last year’s disappointing harvest. Analysts Strategie Grains this month cut their forecast for EU 2017 rapeseed production by […] Read more

U.S. corn farmers worry as Mexico woos South American suppliers

CHICAGO, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Mexico’s attempts to diversify its supplies of corn could threaten a crucial market for U.S. farmers who are increasingly dependent on exports to unload record stockpiles that are depressing prices. Mexico buys nearly all its corn imports from the United States – shipments that totaled 13.603 million tonnes in the […] Read more


LIVESTOCK-Cash price unease pressures CME live cattle futures

CHICAGO, Feb 16 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures on Thursday slipped for a second straight day, amid investor caution while waiting for remaining cash cattle to change hands by Friday, said traders. Short-covering and futures’ discounts to early-week cash returns provided downside market support, they said. February live cattle closed down 0.250 […] Read more

GrainsConnect puts its third elevator in Vegreville, Alta.

Grain farmers in northeastern Alberta will soon have access to another new elevator. GrainsConnect Canada, a joint venture between Australian grain company GrainCorp and Japan-based Zen-Noh Grain Corp., has confirmed plans to build a $30 million high throughput elevator at Vegreville, Alta., about 100 kilometres east of Edmonton. The facility will include 35,000 tonnes of […] Read more

New slaughter plants keep hog demand, prices strong

The hog market is sizzling with uncertainty and it is impossible to tell now if it will be able to stay in the pan of hot domestic prices or fall into the scorching fire of an international trade war. It’s creating a challenging time for hog price hedging, since prices could easily go either way […] Read more


Prices down with malting barley glut

North American maltsters have plenty to choose from so bids have dropped more than $1 per bushel since May

A global glut of malting barley is limiting export opportunities for the ample Canadian crop and that is driving down prices, say analysts. Australia harvested 11 million tonnes of barley in 2016-17, which is a record and 28 percent more than the previous year, according to an estimate by the U.S. agricultural attaché. Australia is […] Read more

Lower carryout sparks wheat rally

WASHINGTON (Reuters) —Wheat futures rallied following a U.S. Department of Agriculture report that cut its forecasts for year-end stocks more than expected. As of Feb. 13 Chicago March futures were the highest since Aug. 23. Gains in Minneapolis spring wheat were less aggressive It pegged U.S. wheat ending stocks for the 2016-17 marketing year at […] Read more