By Mark Weinraub WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) – U.S. soybean supplies were tighter than expected due to rising demand on both the domestic and export fronts, according to government data released on Tuesday. Domestic corn stocks also were forecast to be smaller than previously thought as increased usage by ethanol producers and the food, seed […] Read more
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USDA cuts U.S. supply view for corn, soybeans as demand rises
U.S. government, conservationists launch drive to save monarch butterfly
SEATTLE (Reuters) — The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and conservation groups launched a US$3.2 million campaign on Monday to save the habitat of the embattled orange-and-black spotted monarch butterfly, whose numbers have plummeted in recent years. The monarchs, renowned for migrating thousands of kilometres over many generations from Mexico, across the United States to […] Read more
Australia raises 2014-15 wheat harvest after timely rains
SYDNEY (Reuters) — Australia raised its forecast for the just harvested 2014-15 wheat crop on Tuesday as timely rains in key growing regions aided yields in the world’s fourth-largest exporter. Wheat production totalled 23.61 million tonnes, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences said, up from its December estimate of 23.22 million […] Read more
Cash strength lifts CME cattle futures; hogs at six year low
By Theopolis Waters CHICAGO, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures closed in positive territory for a third straight session, helped by their discounts to last week’s better-than-expected cash prices, traders and analysts said. February closed up 2.375 cents per pound to 158.450 cents, and April 2.625 cents higher at 153.650 cents. […] Read more
Canola futures flat, corn edges higher
If Monday hadn’t happened, crop prices wouldn’t be much different. Canola prices were up ten cents per tonne for both March and May futures contracts, or a change of .02 percent, at Monday’s close. Spring wheat fell a penny a bushel on nearby contracts, and other wheat contracts rose a penny or two. However, oats […] Read more
Sask. agri-food exports lead country
Saskatchewan agri-food exports topped $13.9 billion last year to set a record for the fourth year in a row and lead the country. The province sold its agricultural and food products to 153 countries last year, and 15 of them each bought more than $200 million, said agriculture minister Lyle Stewart. He said the numbers […] Read more
CP calls for end of railway revenue cap
Canada’s second largest railway wants Ottawa to remove the revenue caps that limit how much money it can generate by hauling a tonne of western Canadian grain. Canadian Pacific Railway said the maximum revenue entitlements (MREs) that the federal government established 15 years ago place an artificial limit on how much the railway could earn […] Read more
Sask. expects normal spring runoff
Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency is forecasting near normal spring runoff for the grain belt, based on conditions in January. The warm weather and melting last month has lowered the snow pack. However, most of the province was saturated going into winter freeze-up last fall, and there is still potential for the conditions to change. “The […] Read more
Growing U.S. hog herd, flat Chinese demand slams pork prices
CHICAGO (Reuters) — For decades, Chuck Souder relied on corn and soybeans to keep his 400-acre Iowa farm running, but with corn selling for half its price two years ago and soybeans slumping, Souder has shifted to what he hopes will be a more profitable crop: Pigs. Souder spent US $850,000 last year to build […] Read more
China to direct farm machinery subsidies to growers of key crops
BEIJING, Feb 9 (Reuters) – China will give priority to growers of key staple crops as well as cotton and sugar under changes to its farm machinery subsidy scheme, as it seeks to guarantee food self-sufficiency amid a declining rural workforce, its top newspaper said. Maintaining food security has been one of China’s top policy […] Read more
