Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures rose on Monday as expectations for unfavourably hot, dry weather increased concerns over the crops, after the federal government said last week that U.S. farmers planted fewer acres than expected. Soybeans touched a four-month high and corn traded near last week’s 3-1/2-month peak as the markets […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans hit four-month high on hot, dry weather
CBOT corn futures near 3-1/2-month peak
China says could take more action against Canada
Ottawa and allies 'kicking against the pricks,' foreign ministry says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Beijing | Reuters — China said on Monday it reserved the right to take more action after Canada suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong and said efforts to pressure Beijing were “doomed to fail like kicking against the pricks.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks about the potential for more action […] Read more
China suspends beef imports from Cargill plant
High River plant on long list of blocked facilities
Reading Time: < 1 minute China has temporarily suspended imports of beef from Cargill’s major beef packing plant at High River, Alta., part of a long list of meat plants blocked in the last half of June. The Reuters news service on Monday published a list of meat packing plants from around the world which during June and early July […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn pauses after fund buying spree, watches weather
Soybeans touch new three-month top, wheat eases after rally
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures trimmed from a near 3-1/2 month high on Thursday, following strong gains after the U.S. government reported farmers had planted fewer than expect corn acres. The corn market remained on pace for the strongest gain in a year, as investors watched weather reports. Corn across much of the […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Live cattle futures rise on new-month buying
Hogs mostly down on concerns over supplies, demand
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures closed higher on Wednesday on what appeared to be technical and speculative buying at the start of a new month and quarter, analysts said. Yet the benchmark August live cattle contract on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange remained rangebound, with rallies capped by weak beef prices as slaughterhouses […] Read more
Chinese researchers warn of new virus in pigs with human pandemic risk
Reading Time: 2 minutes Shanghai | Reuters — A new flu virus found in Chinese pigs has become more infectious to humans and needs to be watched closely in case it becomes a potential “pandemic virus,” a study said, although experts said there is no imminent threat. A team of Chinese researchers looked at influenza viruses found in pigs […] Read more
Food exporters sign safety declarations in lieu of virus-free guarantees
Reading Time: < 1 minute Reuters — U.S. food and feed exporters are shipping goods to China with letters assuring the safety of their cargo in lieu of official declarations requested by Chinese authorities that guarantee coronavirus-free shipments, a U.S. agricultural export group said on Friday. The commitment statements, drafted by the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC), are meant only to […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat end higher ahead of USDA reports
Chicago soy also firms; expectations of bumper harvests keep lid on prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn futures rose on Monday on short-covering and position-squaring ahead of key reports due on Tuesday from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and word that China was in the market for the grain after futures fell to a seven-week low last week, analysts said. Wheat rose, bouncing from contract […] Read more
U.S. senators question packers over exports to China during pandemic
USDA shows record pork exports to China in April, raising questions about rising U.S. meat prices
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Two prominent U.S. Senate Democrats are pressing America’s top meatpackers to disclose by month’s end how much pork, beef and chicken they shipped to China during the coronavirus outbreak while warning of possible meat shortages at home. The request from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker increases scrutiny of companies such […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Futures rise as frozen meat stocks decline
Exporters drew down stored supplies during packer slowdowns
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle and hog futures firmed on Tuesday following two sessions of declines after U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data showed a larger-than-anticipated decline in cold-storage stocks of pork and beef. The USDA stocks report, released after the close on Monday, showed a record-large drop in U.S. frozen pork inventories in […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
