CME February 2020 lean hogs with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hog futures touch seven-week high

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures kicked off 2020 by approaching seven-week highs in gains driven by increasing expectations for bigger sales of American pork to China. China, the world’s largest pork consumer, needs larger imports to offset a domestic meat shortage caused by an outbreak of the fatal pig disease African swine fever. […] Read more







File photo of fresh palm fruits and palm oil. (Slpu9945/iStock/Getty Images)

Palm oil 101: Sought-after crop holds sway over oilseed trade

Reading Time: 3 minutes MarketsFarm — Palm oil may be grown halfway around the world in conditions much different than on the Canadian Prairies, but the outsized influence of the crop on world oilseed markets makes it an important factor to watch when considering canola prices. Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s largest producers of the crop, with futures […] Read more


CBOT March 2020 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans set highest price since June 2018

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures on Monday rose to their highest price since June 2018 on expectations that Washington and Beijing will soon sign an initial trade deal that will increase American agricultural exports. China agreed to import more U.S. farm goods under the Phase 1 deal struck this month, providing support for […] Read more



CME February 2020 lean hogs with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. livestock: Hogs stumble as supply trumps Chinese demand

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. hog futures dropped on Friday as pressure from large domestic supplies overshadowed an uptick in pork sales to China. Traders are keeping an eye on Chinese demand because China, the world’s biggest pork consumer, is grappling with a fatal pig disease, African swine fever. Farmers are hoping China will further […] Read more

The Chicago Board of Trade building on May 28, 2018. (Harmantasdc/iStock Editorial/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Trade bullish into New Year

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Agriculture commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade were mixed on Friday, the last day of the January contract and one of the last trading days of 2019. Traders were “shoring up positions ahead of the weekend,” with profit-taking a feature, said Terry Reilly of Futures International in Chicago. Soybeans were lower after […] Read more