Smoke rises from the site of an explosion in Beirut’s port area on Aug. 4, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/Mohamed Azakir)

Who owned the chemicals that blew up Beirut? No one will say

The fertilizer's Georgian producer has since been dissolved; the ship that brought it to Lebanon sank in 2018

Reading Time: 5 minutes Moscow/Dubai/London | Reuters — In the murky story of how a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate ended up on the Beirut waterfront, one thing is clear — no one has ever publicly come forward to claim it. There are many unanswered questions surrounding last week’s huge, deadly blast in the Lebanese capital, but ownership […] Read more

CBOT November 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans up with exports, corn up slightly on dry weather

Big expected Russian, Canadian crops weaken wheat

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures rose on Monday as a spate of new-crop soybean export sales eased concerns about forecasts of huge harvests across the U.S. Midwest. Corn futures were buoyed by dryness in top corn-producing states, as weekend rainfall missed drought-stricken parts of western Iowa. Meanwhile, wheat futures slipped on estimates for […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Bearish supply outlooks spark selling in corn, soy, wheat

Wheat outlooks in Canada, Russia, Australia bearish

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures fell for the fourth day in a row to their lowest since June 30 as expectations kept building that growing supplies will outstrip demand even as top buyer China steps up its purchases, traders said. A bearish supply outlook also pressured wheat futures, which dropped to a one-month […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Wheat futures fall on U.S. export woes

Corn, soybeans firm

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures dropped two per cent on Monday as rising expectations for harvests in Russia and Australia cast a shadow over already weak demand prospects for U.S. supplies, traders said. “Even though our prices are low, we are still being undersold,” said Al Kluis, managing director of Kluis Commodity Advisors. […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: Soy up after crop ratings dip

Corn sags despite sale to China

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures edged higher on Tuesday after weekly crop condition ratings declined, but improving weather in the Midwest crop belt kept a lid on rallies by backing expectations for large harvests, traders said. Corn closed lower, shrugging off news of a massive Chinese purchase of U.S. corn. Wheat firmed, buoyed […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Wheat futures top two-month high on global harvest worries

Corn, soybeans firm as U.S. weather looks hotter, drier

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures on Thursday leapt to their highest prices in more than two months as the latest crop estimates in major exporting countries like Argentina, France and Russia raised questions about global supply. Corn and soybean futures also strengthened, as weather forecasts predicted more heat and dryness […] Read more


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

U.S. grains: CBOT wheat hits one-month high

Global wheat production estimates shrink; U.S. crop report due out Friday

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures jumped on Wednesday on concerns about shrinking crop production estimates in countries from France and Russia to Argentina, traders said. Prices approached a one-month high at the Chicago Board of Trade as adverse weather and lower-than-expected plantings have reduced expectations for harvests in major exporters. The neighbouring corn […] Read more

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

U.S. grains: Wheat, soybean futures fall with export prospects

Corn edges up ahead of Memorial Day

Reading Time: < 1 minute Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell after three straight days of gains on Friday as a firmer dollar disadvantaged the crop in the export market and a forecast for rain promised much-needed relief to dry soils in the U.S. Plains, traders said. Soybean markets also sagged on concerns about export demand, with sales […] Read more


CBOT July 2020 soybeans with Bollinger (20,2) bands. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans, corn fall

Wheat firms on crop concerns; Russia cuts crop outlook

Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — U.S. soybean futures sank 1.4 per cent to a two-week low on Thursday, pressured by concerns about falling export demand from the world’s top soy importer due to rising tensions between Beijing and Washington, traders said. “It does not take much,” said Mark Schultz, chief market analyst at Northstar Commodity. “You […] Read more

A corn crop west of Grunthal, Man. on Aug. 17, 2019. (Dave Bedard photo)

Global wheat, corn, soy production expected to increase

Reading Time: < 1 minute MarketsFarm — Global crop production in the latest monthly supply and demand report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to increase for wheat, corn and soybeans. USDA released its world agriculture supply and demand estimates (WASDE) on Tuesday. The expectation is that global wheat production will be bumped up by 0.56 per […] Read more