Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Grain handler Lansing Trade Group LLC is buying Interstate Commodities, marking another step in consolidation that is rippling through the U.S. agriculture sector as persistently low prices keep pressure on profits. The combined companies could handle as much as seven per cent of the U.S. corn supply of over 15 billion […] Read more
U.S. grain handler Lansing buys Interstate
U.S. livestock: Cattle settle mostly lower on technical selling
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle and feeder cattle futures were mostly lower in a technical selloff on Tuesday, with each declining to the lowest levels in about two months before trimming losses. Broad selling in many commodities, led by crude oil, further weighed on cattle at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. “We had a […] Read more
JBS aims to shed Alberta feedlot in divestment plan
Reading Time: 2 minutes Sao Paulo/Chicago | Reuters — Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA revealed a major divestment plan Tuesday, putting its Alberta cattle feeding assets and others on the block to cut debt after a corruption scandal raised concerns about its financing costs. JBS, whose controlling shareholder recently agreed to pay a massive leniency fine after becoming embroiled in […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs surge to one-year high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures surged as much as four per cent on Monday, lifted by investment fund buying and higher pork prices that boosted meatpackers’ profit margins, traders and analysts said. Hogs on a continuous chart rose to the highest levels since last June 23. Most-active Chicago Mercantile Exchange August lean hog […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs mostly higher on short-covering
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. livestock futures were mostly higher on Friday, with cattle prices stabilizing after Thursday’s multiweek lows and hogs consolidating in the middle of their recent trading ranges. Most-active Chicago Mercantile Exchange August live cattle settled 0.675 cents higher at 118.175 cents/lb. (all figures US$). June live cattle futures finished 0.8 cent […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs ease in technical selloff
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures were mostly about two per cent lower on Thursday, easing on technical selling and investment fund liquidation, traders and analysts said. Hog futures fell sharply to their session lows at 10:10 a.m. CT in what two traders called a “flash crash,” before prices recouped a portion of […] Read more
U.S. grains: MGEX spring wheat eases on rains
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. grain and soy futures were mostly lower on Wednesday, with MGEX spring wheat declining from an earlier 2-1/2-year high on pressure from technical selling and forecasts for crop-friendly rainfall, traders and analysts said. Chicago Board of Trade corn futures declined the most as scattered rains fell in the Midwestern crop […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs rebound as wholesale pork hits two-year high
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures jumped as much as two per cent on Tuesday, rebounding from losses in the previous session on support from sharply higher wholesale pork prices, traders and analysts said. Prices for U.S. pork extended gains to the highest levels in more than two years, according to […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hog futures ease on fund selling
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. cattle and hog futures fell one per cent or more on Monday, pressured by chart-based and investment fund selling, traders and analysts said. Lower-than-expected prices in cash cattle markets late last week further weighed on futures, even as rising U.S. wholesale beef prices suggested meat demand remained strong. Chicago Mercantile […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose on Wednesday in a rebound from losses in the previous session while some lean hog contracts weakened following recent gains in technically driven consolidation trade, traders and analysts said. Rising wholesale beef prices buoyed cattle futures as retailers bought to stock meat coolers ahead of the […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
