Articles Written by Karl Plume

Crops, Fruit/Vegetables, Grapes, Reuters, Weather

Charred U.S. west’s ‘wet ashtray’ wine grapes left to birds

By Karl Plume September 23, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes Reuters — Heavy ground smoke clouded Hanson Vineyards in Oregon’s picturesque Willamette Valley for more than a week following a Labour Day windstorm that kicked up wildfires across the western United States. Jason Hanson expects his crews may only harvest five tons of grapes, including his Chardonnay and Gamay varieties, down from the 25 to […] Read more

Markets, Reuters

Bunge raises outlook as agribusiness profits beat Wall Street estimates

By Karl Plume, Shradha Singh July 29, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters – Agricultural commodities trader Bunge Ltd on Wednesday raised its full-year outlook after its second-quarter profit handily beat Wall Street estimates, sending shares up more than 5 percent in premarket trading. Despite a worsening coronavirus pandemic that has rattled global markets, strong soy processing margins in South America, Europe and Asia and accelerated crop […] Read more

Beef Cattle, Hogs, Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures retreat on supply concerns

By Karl Plume July 27, 2020

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – U.S. live cattle futures opened firm on Monday but retreated from session highs on technical selling and lingering concerns about cattle supply backups in the wake of recent packing plant closures due to coronavirus infections among workers. Prices climbed at Monday’s open in reaction to Friday’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cattle on […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Reuters

U.S. grains: Soybeans firm on more sales to China

By Karl Plume July 27, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – U.S. soybean futures edged higher on Monday as strong export sales, most notably to China, offset pressure from good crop weather that reinforced expectations for a sizable U.S. harvest this autumn. Corn futures eased as mild temperatures and timely rains across the Midwest farm belt were seen boosting prospects for the […] Read more

Crops, Machinery, Reuters, Weather

Bayer launches carbon capture pilot for U.S., Brazilian farmers

Chem and seed firm expects to expand plan to other countries

By Karl Plume July 22, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Bayer launched a pilot program in the United States and Brazil on Tuesday that will pay farmers for capturing carbon in cropland soils, making it the latest agriculture company to capitalize on environmental initiatives. The company seeks to enroll about 1,200 row crop growers in its Bayer Carbon Initiative in the […] Read more

General, Markets, Reuters

Food exporters sign safety declarations in lieu of virus-free guarantees

By Karl Plume June 30, 2020

Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — U.S. food and feed exporters are shipping goods to China with letters assuring the safety of their cargo in lieu of official declarations requested by Chinese authorities that guarantee coronavirus-free shipments, a U.S. agricultural export group said on Friday. The commitment statements, drafted by the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), are meant only to […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Hogs tumble on bigger-than-expected supply, economic concerns

Rising COVID-19 counts raise fears for beef demand

By Karl Plume June 26, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures plunged by as much as the daily trading limit on Friday and ended sharply lower after the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated supplies above already-high trade expectations. Economic concerns amid rising novel coronavirus infections added pressure to hogs and also dragged down cattle futures, which finished […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

U.S. grains: Corn, soybeans sink on Midwest weather

Wheat plunges on technical selling, harvest pressure

By Karl Plume June 26, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell for a fifth straight session on Friday on crop boosting rains across the Midwest and positioning ahead of government reports on U.S. plantings and stocks due next week. Wheat futures tumbled to contract lows, with soft red winter wheat hitting its lowest in nearly 10 […] Read more

Livestock, Markets, Reuters

U.S. livestock: Hogs mostly higher ahead of USDA inventory data

CME feeder cattle firm up on lower corn prices

By Karl Plume June 25, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures were mostly higher on Thursday, lifted by firmer cash hog markets and position squaring ahead of a quarterly hog inventory report that was released after the close. Futures have been sliding for most of the past two months as hog supplies swelled due to numerous packing plant […] Read more

Crops, Markets, Reuters, Weather

U.S. grains: Corn drops to six-week low

By Karl Plume June 25, 2020

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures tumbled to the lowest in six weeks on Thursday and soybeans fell for a fourth straight day as forecasts for crop boosting rains across the U.S. Midwest reinforced prospects for bumper crops this year. Technical selling as futures fell below recent lows added pressure, sending some new-crop corn […] Read more

Trump issues permit for Alaska-to-Alberta railway

U.S. livestock: Cattle up on beef demand, cash market optimism

U.S. grains: Corn, soy ease as harvest advances

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