Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose more than two per cent on Thursday, the biggest single-day advance in a month, on strong weekly export sales and news of fresh demand from top global soy buyer China, analysts said. Corn futures firmed for a second day on strong export sales and signs the worst […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans up on export demand, month-end position-squaring
Strong weekly U.S. export sales data also supports corn, wheat
CBOT weekly outlook: Prices soft on lack of demand
Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Technical buying was a supportive factor on the Chicago Board of Trade in late April, but commodity futures were broadly lower due to a lack of export activity. However, China reportedly remains committed to fulfilling its end of its Phase One trade agreement with the United States. Although soybean futures have been near […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, soybean futures down off gains
Chicago wheat also weak
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures fell on Friday after three straight days of gains as investors took some risk out of the market due to demand uncertainty stemming from the global coronavirus pandemic, traders said. Wheat futures also were lower, with forecasts for some rain in key production areas of Europe […] Read more
U.S. grains: Export hopes push soy, corn, wheat futures higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean, corn and wheat futures rose on Thursday as recent declines spurred demand for imports of all three commodities, traders said. Bargain-buying and short-covering contributed to the bullish tone following a sharp sell-off across the commodities market as the coronavirus pandemic roiled demand. “None of the major commodities have a […] Read more
Burnett on Markets: Global grain stocks offer false sense of food security
In event of production shortfall, 60 per cent of available stocks would never be available to market
Reading Time: 2 minutes The economic parallels from the COVID-19 epidemic are quickly changing from comparisons to the recent financial crisis in 2008-09 to the Great Depression. My parents and grandparents lived through the Depression and it did have many impacts on their everyday lives. The main symbol of the Depression-era mentality was the two enormous chest freezers in […] Read more
China’s beef imports to drop as hotpot comes off the boil
Reading Time: 3 minutes Beijing | Reuters — Just over two months ago, the Jinyuan Fucheng Beef Hotpot restaurant in northern Beijing had a long line of customers waiting outside its doors almost every night of the week. Now, the restaurant that can seat 800 barely fills 20 tables a day, with most people still wary of dining out […] Read more
China reclassifies dogs as pets, not livestock
New guidelines drafted in post-virus regulatory push
Reading Time: 2 minutes Shanghai | Reuters — China has drawn up new guidelines to reclassify dogs as pets rather than livestock, the agriculture ministry said, part of a response to the coronavirus outbreak that the Humane Society called a potential “game changer” in animal welfare. Though dog meat remains a delicacy in many regions, the ministry of agriculture […] Read more
Kraft Heinz cuts output at three plants, adds mac and cheese shifts
Reading Time: < 1 minute Sao Paulo | Reuters — Kraft Heinz said Friday it has moved to significantly reduce production at three plants providing restaurant supplies amid the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, but its CEO noted the company has added shifts at others to meet demand for packaged foods such as macaroni and cheese. Speaking in a video presentation hosted […] Read more
China yet to resume all canola imports from Canada, officials say
No correction measures yet shown, Chinese foreign ministry says
Reading Time: < 1 minute Beijing | Reuters — China has yet to resume all canola imports from Canada, the foreign ministry said on Friday, after suspensions were imposed on some suppliers last year. Canola imports from some Canadian exporters were suspended by China because of quality reports and it has not received any correction measures, so imports have not […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat firms after four-day slide
Corn hits 3-1/2-year low
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures rose on Friday, bouncing after a four-day slide, as traders weighed the threat of a deep economic downturn due to the coronavirus epidemic against supply tensions in some exporting countries. Corn extended a six-day drop, with May futures hitting the lowest for a most-active contract since September 2016, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
