Reading Time: 2 minutes The European Union has convened EU agriculture ministers for last-minute talks on Wednesday to convince Italy and other wavering member countries to sign up to a contentious free trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur.
EU summons farm ministers to secure Mercosur deal support
China buys more US soybeans, total purchases near 10 million tons
Reading Time: < 1 minute China’s state stockpiler Sinograin bought 10 U.S. soybean cargoes this week, three traders told Reuters on Tuesday, as the world’s top buyer continues purchasing from the United States following a late-October trade truce.
Brazil’s soy exports hit record in 2025, data from shipping agency Cargonave shows
Reading Time: < 1 minute Soybean shipments from Brazil, the world’s largest producer and exporter of the oilseed, hit a record of 108.68 million metric tons in 2025, data from shipping agency Cargonave published on Monday showed.
U.S. livestock: CME hogs touch October high on fund buying
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures reached their highest level since October on Monday amid annual adjustments by funds in commodity markets, brokers said. Fund buying at the start of the year also supported grain and soy futures at the Chicago Board of Trade. CME February lean hog futures LHG26 closed […] Read more
Major Brazilian grain traders quit Amazon conservation pact
Reading Time: 2 minutes A lobby group for Brazilian grain trading and crushing firms has told farming state Mato Grosso that it and many of its members are quitting a nearly 20-year-old pact protecting the Amazon basin from deforestation driven by soy farming.
U.S. grains: Broad buying lifts grain futures from multi-week lows
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – U.S. grain and soybean futures recovered from multi-week lows on Monday as broad-based buying and an influx of money from commodity funds boosted prices at the start of the year. Equities, metals and energy markets also advanced after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. “In general, it’s a risk-on trade, […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle futures surge as second screwworm case announced
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures rallied on Friday as two new screwworm cases were announced in Mexico in two days, keeping the focus on tight cattle supplies. CME February live cattle LCG26 settled 4.400 cents higher at 236.000 cents per pound, having hit the highest peak since October 24, and March […] Read more
U.S. grains: Chicago soybeans fall on competition with Brazilian exports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters – Chicago soybean futures ticked down on light post-holiday trading volume on Friday, as competitively priced Brazilian beans and favorable South American weather pressured the commodity, analysts said. Wheat and corn futures also edged down, but corn received some support from the brisk pace of U.S. exports. The most-active soybean contract on […] Read more
Tyson Foods settles U.S. beef price-fixing lawsuit for $82.5 million
Reading Time: < 1 minute Tyson Foods has agreed to pay $82.5 million (C$113.3 million) to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit brought by grocers and other businesses that accused the meat and poultry giant of conspiring to inflate U.S. beef prices by restricting supply.
U.S. livestock: CME cattle futures rise on expectations of tight supplies
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters – Chicago Mercantile Exchange cattle futures climbed on Wednesday as market players anticipated tighter cattle supplies in the first quarter of the new year, and there was some technical buying, according to analysts. CME February live cattle LCG26 settled 1.125 cents higher at 231.600 cents per pound, and March feeder cattle FCH26 […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
