Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures gained on Thursday as slaughter rates returned to levels not seen since processing plants closed from COVID-19 outbreaks among workers this spring. Live cattle futures fell as pre-Labour Day buying wound down and the industry awaited Friday’s monthly Cattle on Feed report from the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hogs up as slaughter pace reaches pre-COVID levels
Pre-Labour Day buying winds down
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures firm on wholesale strength
Hogs up as slaughter outpaces year-earlier period
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Wednesday as boxed beef prices offered support ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend, traders said. “It’s the main week for retailers to lock up their Labour Day supplies. That’s kept a floor under the cash market,” said Alan Brugler, president of Brugler Marketing. […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans touch seven-month high on export optimism
Wheat stays firm on demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures climbed to a seven-month high on Wednesday on U.S. export optimism and concerns over continued dryness across parts of the U.S. Midwest, traders said. Chicago corn edged lower, as a Midwest crop tour estimated higher yields, offsetting storm damage concerns in Iowa. The most active soybean contract on […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn retreats from month high on clearer crop outlook
Soybeans ease after seven-month high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures ended lower on Tuesday after hitting a five-week high on Monday as higher yields estimated on an annual Midwest crop tour tempered concern about storm damage across the Corn Belt. Soybean futures declined but held near Monday’s multi-month high as concerns over dry Midwest weather offset better-than-expected crop […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Lean hog futures pull back on shaky demand
CME October live cattle remain flat
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures slid on Tuesday as traders eyed large seasonal hog supplies against uncertain domestic consumption and weak exports. CME October lean hogs settled 2.1 cents lower at 51.425 cents/lb. (all figures US$). “Supplies are large, and there’s always uncertainty about export demand,” said Doug Houghton, analyst […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans near seven-month high as dryness threatens crop
Corn up one per cent after storm hits U.S. crop in key growing region
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures rallied on Monday to a nearly seven-month high on reports of dry weather in the United States, while corn futures hit their highest in a month on fresh concerns over damage from a storm in Iowa a week ago. August has been one of the driest on record […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle step back after eight-session climb
Hog sector seen having 'curbed expansion'
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures pulled back on Monday in profit taking ahead of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cattle on Feed report at the end of the week, traders said. Live cattle fell for the first day after eight sessions of gains. The pullback reflects uncertainty about the USDA […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle up on cash market strength
Lean hog weights 'coming down a little bit'
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures gained on Monday, as the cash market strengthened and packers looked to pickup slaughter rates, brokers said. Feeder cattle also gained, while lean hog futures added as producers looked to offload market-weight animals early to reduce feed costs. CME October live cattle added 0.7 cent […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans up with exports, corn up slightly on dry weather
Big expected Russian, Canadian crops weaken wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures rose on Monday as a spate of new-crop soybean export sales eased concerns about forecasts of huge harvests across the U.S. Midwest. Corn futures were buoyed by dryness in top corn-producing states, as weekend rainfall missed drought-stricken parts of western Iowa. Meanwhile, wheat futures slipped on estimates for […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans ease on China tensions
Wheat gains on declining U.S. dollar, export hopes; corn mostly flat
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybeans softened on Friday as optimism over Chinese buying in the United States was tempered by political tensions between the two economic heavyweights. Corn ended lower on strong crop conditions, while wheat rose on hopes of new U.S. export sales with the dollar remaining low. The Chicago Board of Trade’s […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
