Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures rallied on Monday to a nearly seven-month high on reports of dry weather in the United States, while corn futures hit their highest in a month on fresh concerns over damage from a storm in Iowa a week ago. August has been one of the driest on record […] Read more
U.S. grains: Soybeans near seven-month high as dryness threatens crop
Corn up one per cent after storm hits U.S. crop in key growing region
Monday’s storm hit an estimated 37.7 million acres in U.S. Midwest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A storm packing hurricane-force winds on Monday impacted 37.7 million acres of farmland across the Midwest, including 14 million in Iowa, the Iowa Soybean Association said on Friday, citing estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The toll from the derecho storm has worsened as farmers and grain handlers have spent […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn eases on profit-taking
Traders question USDA numbers, raising uncertainty
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago corn inched slightly lower on Friday, as traders questioned federal acreage data and assessed the extent of storm damage in the U.S. Midwest. Prices slipped early in the day, after a rally in the previous session pushed corn futures to a four-week high. Soybeans also fell after jumping to a […] Read more
U.S. farmers to harvest record-large corn crop, second-largest soy crop, USDA says
Estimates don't include impact of recent Midwest storm
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. farmers will reap their biggest corn harvest and their second biggest soybean harvest this fall as good summer weather shepherded the crops through key phases of development, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday. The crop outlooks, which also included average yields for both corn and soybeans as the largest […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn futures tread water as Midwest’s farmers assess storm damage
Analysts still expect large U.S. harvest
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn futures ended flat on Tuesday as traders and analysts predicted that farmers will harvest a large crop despite a damaging storm that tore across the U.S. Midwest on Monday. Soybean futures were steady, while wheat futures rose on technical buying. Farmers are assessing the damage to their corn from […] Read more
Tyson to shut Iowa pork plant against COVID-19 outbreak
Plant handles up to 3.5 per cent of U.S. pork output
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Tyson Foods said on Thursday it will temporarily close an Iowa pork plant due to the coronavirus pandemic, a month after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered slaughterhouses to stay open to protect the country’s food supply. Meat processors such as Tyson, WH Group’s Smithfield Foods and JBS USA temporarily closed about […] Read more
COVID-19 forces Tyson to shutter two major U.S. pork plants
Reading Time: 2 minutes UPDATED — Reuters — Tyson Foods is shuttering two pork processing plants, including its largest in the United States, to contain the spread of the coronavirus, further tightening meat supplies after other major slaughterhouse shutdowns. The closures are limiting the amount of meat the U.S. can produce during the outbreak and adding stress on farmers […] Read more
White House to stick with 2020 biofuel plan, despite farmer objections
Reading Time: 2 minutes New York | Reuters — The Trump administration plans to stick with its proposed 2020 biofuel blending requirements, the White House said on Wednesday, despite anger among farmers that the plan does too little for corn growers. The decision could undermine President Donald Trump’s support among farmers, an important constituency in the November 2020 election. […] Read more
Vermeer buys TMR mixer maker Schuler
Reading Time: 2 minutes U.S. hay and forage equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corp. is expanding its reach in the cattle feeding business with a deal for fellow Iowa firm Schuler Manufacturing. Vermeer announced Wednesday it purchased Schuler for an undisclosed sum and that Schuler products will still “initially” be sold under the Schuler brand, but with an “intentional transition” to […] Read more
White House seen aiming to calm U.S. farmer unrest over biofuels
Reading Time: 3 minutes New York/Washington | Reuters — President Donald Trump’s administration has been scrambling to stem the tide of rising anger in Farm Belt states after its decision this month to allow numerous oil refiners to mix less ethanol into their gasoline, sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Trump held a two-hour meeting on Monday with members of […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
