(File photo by Dave Bedard)

Funds sitting on large net long in canola

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — The net long position fund traders are holding in canola futures remains historically large, with almost all of the managed money in the market sitting on the long side, according to the latest commitment of traders (CoT) report from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Managed money fund traders as of Tuesday […] Read more

CBOT January 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans touch 6-1/2 year high

Corn follows as traders eye South American crops

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures surged to their highest in 6-1/2 years on Friday as the rain outlook in key South American growing areas remained uncertain, threatening harvest prospects as global demand strengthens, traders said. Forecasts of low U.S. soybean inventories and strong demand from U.S. processors and importers like China have made […] Read more


CME February 2021 live cattle with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm as cash market rebound seen

Hog report expected to show smaller herd

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. live cattle futures rose for the third day in a row on Friday, on expectations that the cash market would rebound from recent lows in the coming days. Traders also viewed a government report that showed cattle placements during November were down sharply from a year earlier as bullish. “The […] Read more

CBOT March 2021 corn with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat, soybeans rally with exports in focus

CBOT March wheat passes US$6 mark

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade soybean and corn futures rose on Thursday, with soybeans soaring past the US$12 a bushel mark and hitting a fresh 4-1/2-year high after a strong weekly export report sparked a rally, traders said. The good demand for U.S. supplies highlighted concerns about potential harvest shortfalls in South […] Read more


CME February 2021 live cattle (candlesticks) with 100-day moving average (red line) and January 2021 feeder cattle (pink line). (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm

Hogs weak despite big pork exports

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures rose to a two-week high on Thursday, their second straight day of gains, on technical buying, traders said. Hog futures were weaker despite signs of strong pork exports and firm demand from China. Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) February live cattle futures settled up 0.675 cent at 114.45 cents/lb. […] Read more



ICE January 2021 canola (candlesticks) with 20-day moving average (yellow line) and CBOT January 2021 soyoil (green line). (Barchart)

ICE weekly outlook: Canola holds over $600

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — ICE Futures canola contracts were stronger Wednesday, hitting multi-year highs for three consecutive days. The nearby January contract closed at $602.90 per tonne on Wednesday, gaining nearly $10 since Friday’s close of $593.60. Ken Ball of PI Financial in Winnipeg said canola is expected to go higher in order to “kill off some […] Read more

CBOT January 2021 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Profit-taking pressures soybeans

Corn futures firm, wheat weak

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures eased on Wednesday on a profit-taking setback after approaching 4-1/2-year highs, traders said. Corn futures ended firmer on technical buying, while wheat dipped. Concerns about dry conditions limiting crop potential in key corn- and soy-growing areas of South American underpinned the market, with strong demand weighing on global […] Read more


CME February 2021 live cattle with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures firm despite weak cash markets

Hogs down on technical selling

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. cattle futures firmed on Wednesday, shrugging off weakness in the cash market in anticipation of tightening supplies in the coming months, traders said. Hog futures eased on a round of technical selling. Traders were expecting a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report on Friday to show an 8.6 per cent […] Read more

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle market volatility continues

Reading Time: 2 minutes Compared to last week, western Canadian feeder cattle markets traded $3 lower to $3 higher. Prices were generally steady to $3 higher on Friday after the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered its estimate for second-quarter beef production by 125 million lbs. in Thursday’s world agricultural supply and demand estimates (WASDE). Fed and feeder cattle futures […] Read more