Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange livestock futures finished higher on Wednesday as the markets recovered after dropping the previous session to their lowest prices in more than a week. Prices rose as investors’ concerns eased about the Omicron coronavirus variant, which rattled commodity and financial markets on Tuesday, traders said. Chicago Board of […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME cattle, hog futures finish higher
Investors' COVID concerns eased
Cargill beef plant workers to vote on new negotiated offer
High River workers otherwise headed for strike or lockout Monday
Reading Time: 3 minutes Workers at Cargill’s major beef slaughter and packing plant in Alberta will vote this week on a new offer which it’s hoped will avert a strike or lockout, both due to start Monday. The new offer follows a “marathon” of negotiations Tuesday between Cargill representatives and the bargaining committee for United Food and Commercial Workers […] Read more
CBOT weekly outlook: Markets ‘resilient’ in face of Omicron
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm — While fears over the newly-identified Omicron COVID-19 variant caused a sharp downturn Friday in oil and equities, crop prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) were not as hard hit. “This new COVID-19 variant has got some traders spooked in the market here in thinking there might be some economic slowdown and […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat extends slide as Omicron worries mount
Corn, soybeans also slip on virus fears
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago wheat prices fell to a nearly three-week low on Tuesday, as concerns that the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant could slow the global economy drove investors to reduce risk exposure. The entire grains complex felt pressure early in the session, after Moderna’s CEO cautioned that COVID-19 shots were unlikely […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle fall from highs as Omicron rattles markets
Chicago February lean hogs also lower
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures weakened on Tuesday as worries about the new Omicron coronavirus variant rattled commodity and financial markets. Losses pulled live cattle futures down from contract highs reached in recent sessions. CME lean hog futures also fell, along with U.S. grains and soybeans, after Moderna’s chief cast […] Read more
U.S. livestock: Cattle post new highs, retreat on profit-taking
Chicago lean hogs close mixed
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures rose to multi-year highs on Monday but closed lower as profit-taking and technical selling clipped gains, traders said. The spread of a new coronavirus variant sparked demand worries as livestock traders feared renewed restrictions on travel and restaurant occupancy. But strong beef packer margins and […] Read more
U.S. grains: Wheat drops as U.S. dollar edges higher
Australia forecasts record wheat crop; corn, soy down on good South America weather
Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures retreated on Monday on a firmer dollar and as a record harvest outlook from major exporter Australia eased recent concerns about rain-damaged crops. Corn and soybeans followed wheat lower, pressured by technical selling and profit-taking and by good weekend rains in Argentina and parts of Brazil. Chicago Board […] Read more
Canada shuts to seven African countries’ travelers
Latest COVID-19 variant spurs decision
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — Canada is closing its borders to foreign travelers who have recently been to seven southern African nations to help stop the spread of a newly identified variant of COVID-19, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters Friday. The European Union, the United States and Britain are among those tightening border controls as […] Read more
U.S. grains: New COVID variant scares markets
Soybeans, wheat drop; corn rebounds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell Friday as news of a new COVID-19 variant discovered in South Africa sent oil and equities markets lower, with moves exaggerated by low trade volume across the grain and oilseed commodities. Chicago Board of Trade January soybeans lost 13-3/4 cents, at $12.52-3/4 a bushel, the contracts biggest […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME live cattle futures set new contract highs
February hogs drop to two-week low
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle futures set new highs on Friday and finished stronger on technical buying and firm cash prices, traders said. The front-month December contract and most-active February 2022 contract avoided losses seen in commodities such as crude oil and soybeans that were unnerved by the discovery of a […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
