Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Besides shutting down entire cities and killing more than 1,000 people, China’s novel coronavirus outbreak has wreaked havoc on North America’s hog futures. “It’s a dubious relationship, but it is impacting markets,” said Tyler Fulton, risk management director for Hams Marketing Services in Winnipeg. Lean hog futures moved “in concert with drops in […] Read more
North American hog markets wracked by coronavirus
U.S. grains: Soybeans up as China pledges to fulfill purchases
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures rose for a sixth straight session on Monday on expectations that Beijing will meet the purchasing targets agreed in the Phase One trade deal with Washington, although concerns about the coronavirus outbreak in China capped gains. The most active soybean futures contract on the Chicago Board Of Trade […] Read more
Strong export demand, acreage ahead for barley
Lower supplies from Australia benefit Canadian growers
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — Canadian malting barley acreage is expected to remain high in the coming year, mostly due to strong export demand. Peter Watts, managing director of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Center in Winnipeg, said tough harvest conditions were partially to blame for lowered malt barley output in 2019. “We had a fairly lousy harvest, […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat, corn up on technical buying, export optimism
Soybean traders remain cautious
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and wheat futures rose on Thursday on chart-based buying and short-covering coupled with optimism about prospects for U.S. agricultural export sales to China, traders said. Soybean futures firmed but trailed the advances in grains. Chicago Board of Trade March corn settled up 4-1/4 cents at $3.83-1/2 per bushel after […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hog futures advance for second day
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures closed higher on Friday for a second session on follow-through buying after Thursday’s limit-up close and reminders of stepped-up Chinese demand for U.S. pork, traders said. Benchmark April lean hog futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) settled up 1.375 cents, at 66.25 cents/lb. (all figures US$). […] Read more
Coronavirus disrupts China meat imports, food supplies
Swine fever has created pork shortage
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Coronavirus is disrupting meat shipments to China as the country faces a shortage due to an outbreak of a fatal pig disease, Tyson Foods Inc and U.S. agricultural groups said on Thursday. An outbreak of African swine fever, which infects only pigs, has decimated China’s herd, pushing Chinese pork prices to […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn, wheat slide on strong dollar, export uncertainty
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat and corn futures fell on Thursday as a strengthening dollar dampened U.S. export prospects and traders continued to wait for signs of China buying agricultural goods, analysts said. Soybean futures eked out a modest advance. Chicago Board of Trade March corn settled down 1-1/2 cents at $3.79-1/4 per bushel […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Hogs limit up on Tyson comment, short-covering
Cattle futures follow hogs higher
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. lean hog futures surged their daily three-cent limit on Thursday after comments from a Tyson Foods executive about pork demand from China ignited a wave of buying including short-covering, traders said. Tyson is competing with other global companies to supply meat to China, the world’s largest pork consumer, as an […] Read more
Canada, China both ‘furious’ over Huawei row, envoy says
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canada and China are both “furious” over the case of a Huawei executive detained in Canada in 2018 and its aftermath, but there are signs the two sides can hold constructive talks, the Canadian ambassador to Beijing said Wednesday. Canadian police picked up Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle, hogs slide on export concerns
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog and cattle futures fell on Wednesday on worries that the coronavirus outbreak would stall U.S. exports of pork and beef into China, traders said. Wall Street equity markets soared on reports that scientists were developing a vaccine for the deadly virus. But hog and cattle futures on the Chicago […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
