Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — As Canadian farmers start thinking about what to plant next spring, global trade patterns and weather will play into decision making. “It’s very difficult to decide where this all is going. That obviously also has implications on where the futures prices go and what signals the farmers are taking from that,” said […] Read more

Trade, weather top of mind for 2019 acres

U.S. grains: Soybeans edge upward, still await promised Chinese buying
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures edged higher on Tuesday on hopes that a U.S.-China trade war truce over the weekend would result in fresh Chinese demand for U.S. soybeans, although no deals have been confirmed. Corn also firmed slightly, following soybeans, while wheat ended mixed on light demand. At Saturday’s G-20 meeting in […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs slip on trade truce worries
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures fell for a second consecutive session on Tuesday on concern over a trade truce agreement reached over the weekend between the U.S. and China, the world’s top hog and pork market. Global stock markets tumbled on Tuesday as optimism waned that the U.S. and China could quickly […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME lean hogs ease, await trade truce benefits
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed mostly lower on Monday in a profit-taking setback from near two-highs as traders awaited further confirmation of pork purchases by China following a thaw in tense trade relations over the weekend. At a gathering of G20 countries in Argentina on Saturday, the White House agreed to […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybeans strike post-harvest highs on trade truce
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rallied to their highest since at least August on Monday, joining a broad rally in commodity and equity prices after Washington and Beijing sealed a truce in a trade war that has halted nearly all U.S. soy shipments to the world’s top importer. Soybean prices, however, set back […] Read more

China’s action on tariffs uncertain, USDA’s Perdue says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — China will probably resume buying U.S. soybeans around Jan. 1 because of limited supplies in South America, after halting purchases due to the trade war between Washington and Beijing, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Monday. However, it has “yet to be determined” whether China will remove tariffs on imports […] Read more

U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures up slightly
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures closed modestly higher on Friday on short-covering after a four-session slide and concern that wintry weather in the central Plains in the coming days could slow cattle weight gain, traders said. Lean hog futures were mixed as traders awaited news on U.S.-China trade talks expected this weekend as […] Read more

U.S. grains: Wheat, soy, corn climb
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose about 1.5 per cent Friday on firming cash markets, analysts said, while soybeans and corn firmed ahead of hotly anticipated U.S.-China trade talks at this week’s G20 summit in Argentina. The G20 meeting is to include head-to-head discussions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi […] Read more

Fertilizer prices to rise on global production shifts
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Canadian fertilizer prices are expected to increase as spring draws nearer, according to industry professionals. “The further you buy out from spring, the prices tend to be a little bit lower. In making your commitments early, prices tend to edge up as you get closer to spring,” said Don Kitson of International […] Read more

U.S. livestock: Hogs bounce on news of pork sales to China
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures jumped more than four per cent on Thursday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s weekly export sales report showed that China last week placed its largest order for U.S. pork since February, traders said. The purchases are a signal that an outbreak of African swine fever in […] Read more