Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — The European Commission said on Tuesday it had concluded that U.S. soybeans can be used in biofuels in the European Union, part of the bloc’s push to improve strained trade relations with the United States. However, industry sources said it was unlikely to lead to a flood of additional U.S. soybean imports into […] Read more
EU seeks to soothe U.S. by clearing soybeans for biofuel
U.S. livestock: Hogs mostly lower
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures closed mostly lower on Monday, with the market still technically weak despite four straight days of declines last week. The most-active April hog contract managed to close slightly higher on a mild bargain-buying bounce after hitting its lowest since mid-August. But most hog contracts were weaker. […] Read more
USDA extends deadline for aid after shutdown
Reading Time: 2 minutes Washington | Reuters — U.S. farmers now have until Feb. 14 to apply for federal aid designed to offset the impact of retaliatory Chinese tariffs on American crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday, after delays caused by the month-long government shutdown. The previous deadline for the aid program, officially known as the […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat end lower
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures ticked lower on Monday, pressured by broad declines in commodity and equity markets as well as improving forecasts for South American crop weather, traders said. Wheat followed the weaker trend. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) March corn futures settled down 1/2 cent at $3.79-3/4 per bushel […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs sink on big supplies, poor exports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures fell sharply on Friday, with the most active April contract hitting its lowest in more than five months, as disappointing export demand failed to ease the supply glut in the United States. “The trade was very enthused that we were going to see all this Chinese […] Read more
Canadian wheat exports keep strong pace
Reading Time: < 1 minute Canadian wheat exports during the 2018-19 crop year-to-date are running at a record pace, with exports as of Sunday roughly 1.4 million tonnes ahead of what was exported during the same time frame the previous crop year. Canada has exported 8.87 million tonnes of wheat as of Sunday, according to the latest Canadian Grain Commission […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans hit two-week high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures climbed to a two-week high on Friday on worries about the size of Brazil’s crop and short-covering ahead of planned U.S.-China trade talks next week, traders said. Corn firmed, following strength in soybeans, while wheat drifted lower, pressured by news that a private forecaster had raised its estimate […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs weaken on technical selling, demand uncertainty
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange hog futures eased on Thursday on a round of technical follow-through selling after declining on Wednesday, traders said. Weakness in the cash market, as well as uncertainty about demand from China, also weighed on the hog market. CME February lean hogs closed Thursday at 59.825 cents/lb., down from […] Read more
Feed weekly outlook: Tight supplies, good demand support barley
Reading Time: < 1 minute Solid demand, both domestically and internationally, coupled with tightening world supplies is keeping barley bids well supported in Western Canada and should lead to increased acres this spring. “The price of feed barley is staying historically high,” said Brian Otto, chair of the Barley Council of Canada, noting feed barley at Lethbridge was currently trading […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat retreats from five-week high
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat and corn futures closed lower on profit-taking and a lack of market-moving news on Thursday while soybeans firmed, buoyed by concerns about the size of Brazil’s crop. Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) March wheat settled down 4-1/2 cents at $5.21-1/2 per bushel (all figures US$). CBOT March corn ended […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
