Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — The Canadian hog market may be at its seasonal lows, but tightening worldwide supplies should underpin values over the next few months. “We’re at a seasonal time of year when prices move lower,” said Brad Marceniuk, livestock economist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, pointing to higher U.S. slaughter numbers and a slowdown in North American […] Read more
Hog market at seasonal lows, turnaround expected
U.S. grains: Corn sinks on weather, retreating crude oil
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures fell on Tuesday for the first time in four sessions on better-than-expected U.S. crop conditions and as crude oil prices, which fuelled the prior session’s rally, retreated. Soybeans also declined, despite the announcement of more sales to top importer China, as forecasts for continued warm weather across much […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs fall from gains as cash prices ease
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures tumbled on Tuesday, with the most-active contract dropping by the daily maximum, due to weak cash prices and technical selling, traders said. Pork cutout values eased for carcasses, loins, bellies and other products, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. December lean hog futures dropped the daily […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs rise on expectations for Chinese buying
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed to their highest price since July on Monday on expectations for Chinese buying, while technical selling pushed down cattle futures. Meat traders anticipate China will increase pork imports to offset an expected shortage caused by an outbreak of African swine fever, a fatal pig virus that […] Read more
Ample world malt barley supply to limit export prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Canadian malt barley growers may be dealing with adverse harvest conditions that could lead to quality downgrades in some areas — while world supplies of the key beer ingredient remain more than sufficient to meet global demand. “There’s no real indication at this time that we’ll see a significant up move (in price),” […] Read more
Trump trade-war aid sows frustration in farm country
Reading Time: 4 minutes Rochester, Minnesota | Reuters — The U.S. government is paying Texas cotton farmer J. Walt Hagood US$145 an acre for losses related to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies. But Minnesota soybean farmer Betsy Jensen will get just US$35 an acre. Both farmers’ sales have taken heavy blows in Trump’s trade war with China. Neither […] Read more
China to exempt U.S. pork, soybeans from additional tariffs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Shanghai | Reuters — China will exempt some agricultural products from additional tariffs on U.S. goods, including pork and soybeans, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said Friday, in the latest sign of easing Sino-U.S. tensions before a new round of talks aimed at curbing a bruising trade war. The United States and China have both […] Read more
Global wheat production to decrease, USDA says
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — In the latest supply and demand report from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the global wheat forecast was revised downward due to difficult weather conditions. USDA has now projected 765.53 million tonnes of wheat to be produced in 2019-20, according to the department’s world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE), released Thursday. That’s […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans extend gains on big Chinese purchase
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. soybean futures hit a six-week high on Friday as China’s first large purchase of U.S. beans in months and easing of some duties on U.S. exports fuelled hopes of a detente in the tariff war between Washington and Beijing. Corn also firmed as signs of a U.S.-China trade thaw sparked […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs limit up again on China tariff exemption
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures climbed by an expanded daily limit on Friday as China said it would exempt U.S. pork from additional tariffs imposed during its trade war with the United States. The exemptions raised hopes for Chinese buying and were seen as the latest sign of easing Sino-U.S. tensions before […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
