Reading Time: 2 minutes Harare | Reuters — Zimbabwe has only 100,000 tonnes of grain in its strategic reserves, enough to last just over a month, as the southern African nation suffers the effects of a severe drought, according to the agriculture minister. More than half the country’s population faces food shortages after maize harvests halved last year. The […] Read more
Zimbabwe says grain stocks running out after drought
CBOT weekly outlook: Corn set to rally
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Corn futures on the Chicago Board of Trade may be due for a rally. The March corn contract hit $3.92 per bushel three times earlier in the month, facing stiff resistance to break higher (all figures US$). Prices established lows last week, around $3.7525. “I would like to see resistance be taken to […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: 2019 ends on high note
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Despite a number of tough challenges in 2019, one broker at the Chicago Board of Trade said the year ended on a high note. “For what we went through with China this whole year, this trade war, you had corn, wheat and soybeans close higher for the year on Dec. 31,” said Scott […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Trade awaits solid details on ‘Phase One’
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While optimism towards the ‘Phase One’ trade deal between the U.S. and China has continued, its initial impact on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) has diminished, according to one trader. “I think the biggest thing is everyone is on hold wondering, is it real? The actual terms of this [agreement] are still […] Read more
StatsCan shows corn, soy output down across board
Reading Time: 2 minutes Despite increases in Ontario’s harvested acres for both soybeans and corn, the province’s production of both crops in 2019 followed the rest of Canada’s lower in Statistics Canada’s latest estimates. StatsCan’s November estimates for production of principal field crops, released Friday, dropped Canada’s production of soybeans to six million tonnes, down 18.5 per cent from […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Soy, corn stuck waiting on trade news
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Soybean and corn futures at the Chicago Board of Trade remain in a holding pattern, waiting for concrete news on ongoing negotiations between the United States and China. Activity during the last week of November was slowing down as traders moved to the sidelines ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, with attention expected […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Trade uncertainty weighs
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Lack of demand for corn exports has continued to drag prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) and the U.S. dollar has been stronger recently, making exports even less attractive, according to Terry Reilly, a grains analyst with Futures International. In contrast, consistent soybean sales since Monday have provided some support to […] Read more
Corn harvest a struggle for three U.S. states
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — With a significant amount of corn still in the fields on the U.S. northern Plains, the harvest may be grinding to a halt, according to MarketsFarm analyst Bruce Burnett. In particular, Burnett noted, the corn harvest has been further slowed by a propane shortage, which has caused issues for farmers trying to acquire […] Read more
U.S. corn exports falter, soybean business could meet same fate
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fort Collins | Reuters – It is no secret that overseas demand for U.S. corn has been downright terrible as of late, and relief does not seem likely in the immediate term as purchase commitments remain dismal. Forward sales for U.S. soybeans are nothing to brag about either, but soy exporters have enjoyed more success recently than […] Read more
Bearish fund traders add to shorts in canola and corn
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm – Commodity fund traders added to their net short positions in canola and corn, while they maintained a steady position in soybeans, according to the latest Commitment of Traders (CoT) report compiled by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as of Nov. 1. The net managed money short position in ICE Futures […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
