CME July 2021 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures extend rally on cash prices, tight supply

Cash cattle, beef values see 'significant disconnect'

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures hit contract highs for the third consecutive day on Tuesday as a strong cash market and tight supplies pushed up prices. Solid demand for pork has helped boost the market, with meat processors paying up to buy hogs from producers, analysts said. The U.S. Department […] Read more

CBOT July 2021 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn hits eight-year high

Soybean, wheat markets slump

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures hit their highest price since March 2013 on Monday on strong demand for limited U.S. supplies and concerns over dry weather hurting output in Brazil. Traders continue to focus on tightening global inventories as U.S. farmers plant corn and soy for the autumn harvest, rather […] Read more


CME June 2021 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs set life-of-contract highs on tightening supplies

Cattle mixed on concerns for cash prices

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures soared to contract highs on Monday on tightening U.S. supplies and rising cash prices. Prices have been rallying as consumer demand is rising due to easing pandemic-induced restrictions on dining and travel, analysts said. Hog supplies are tight after some farmers euthanized hogs or performed […] Read more

CME June 2021 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs limit-down on profit-taking

Cattle futures continue lower

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures sank by their daily exchange-imposed trading limit on Thursday as profit-taking overwhelmed the market following blistering rallies, analysts said. The setback is a turnaround from gains that have lifted profits for pig farmers after they struggled last year when the COVID-19 pandemic reduced restaurants’ demand for meat […] Read more


Soybean fields are inspected in a University of Wisconsin research trial on dicamba drift at Arlington, Wisc. on Aug. 2, 2018. (File photo: Reuters/Tom Polansek)

Bayer, Corteva in ‘two-dog battle’ over U.S. soy market

Companies' GM soybeans jockey for market share

Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Bayer is launching a new genetically modified soybean in the United States, striking back against rival Corteva in a bid to retain its dominant position supplying seeds to the $40 billion U.S. soy industry. Billions of dollars are on the table for companies producing a growing variety of seeds for soybeans, […] Read more

CME June 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Live cattle, lean hogs set new contract highs

June hogs turn lower before close

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Strong meat demand pushed U.S. live cattle and lean hog futures to new contract highs on Monday. The cattle market benefited from increasing demand for beef as the U.S. is entering the summer grilling season, analysts said. Prices for choice cuts of boxed beef soared by $5.82, to $258.67/cwt, while select […] Read more


CBOT May 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybean futures advance on supply concerns

Traders watch U.S. planting progress, crop weather

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures jumped on Monday on concerns about U.S. supplies dwindling due to strong export demand and smaller-than-expected plantings. The U.S. Department of Agriculture shocked traders last week by reporting that U.S. farmers plan to sow 87.6 million acres with soybeans this spring and 91.1 million acres […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

U.S. pork processors face higher costs, slower speeds after court ruling

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — An industry group representing America’s biggest meatpackers on Thursday pushed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to appeal a federal court decision that canceled an agency rule that allows pork plants to slaughter pigs more quickly. The decision issued Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Minnesota could raise costs for meatpackers like […] Read more


A cornfield in Mexico’s Chihuahua state. (Undefined undefined/iStock/Getty Images)

Mexico’s ban on GMO corn imports won’t apply to feed, U.S. says

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Friday that a Mexican plan to ban imports of genetically modified (GMO) corn would apply to grain used for human food products, not livestock feed, based on recent talks he had with Mexican Agriculture Secretary Victor Villalobos Arambula. Vilsack said limiting the ban to […] Read more

(Dave Bedard photo)

USDA plans more pandemic programs for disadvantaged farmers

Review found disparities in farm aid distribution

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Wednesday it will dedicate at least US$6 billion to help smaller-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers who were hurt by the pandemic, along with producers of organic food and other specialty crops. The agency said it would also increase by approximately $5.6 billion payments made […] Read more